


Envy     -RPF-

by junkerin



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Slavery, Big Bang Challenge, Drug-Induced Sex, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Multi, SPN - Freeform, Sexual Slavery, Supernatural and J2 Big Bang Challenge 2014, Threesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-27
Updated: 2014-08-27
Packaged: 2018-02-15 01:07:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 36,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2209872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junkerin/pseuds/junkerin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>19 year old Jared, son of Gavin, Leader of the Forest People, leads a happy, gentle life steeped in the easy, traditional footsteps and values of their ancient culture. As a highly skilled hunter, Jared delights in providing for his friends and family and looks forward to a fairly carefree life spent among his beloved First Trees, family and 'playful' friends and perhaps leading his people some day.    <br/>Those plans seem right on track until one day when prying emerald eyes spy the beautiful young hunter 'playing' in a forest meadow with some friends and decide this 'young savage' of the Forest should be his. <br/>Moved into a new world... one filled with debauchery, pain, treachery and greed. Can the gentle, loving, young man survive such horrors and still maintain his family's deep-seated values? Can such an uncaring world and its jaded ruler be changed for the better?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Envy     -RPF-

**Author's Note:**

> This is the RPF version of my 2014 BB "Envy" on Live journal.
> 
> There is althoug some really beautiful art there check it out! 
> 
> http://junkerin.livejournal.com/7724.html

Prologue:

It was a warm summer day and the wind was softly whispering to the little white flowers growing in their favorite clearing by the lake. Jared, Jason and Jess had been swimming and now lay naked and entangled on a bed of warm grass and summer flowers. 

The sun was drying their skin and everybody was too lazy to get dressed and walk back to their home. 

“Jared, tell us a story.” Jessie asked. 

“What?” Jared asked, he had been painting invisible signs on her body and was surprised by her request. 

“Tell me the story of the First Lovers.” Jessie said.

“Why? It’s so peaceful here. I don’t want to listen to Jared babbling. He sounds like a singing duck.” Jason remarked.

“Because it is sexy and Jared tells it sooooo …. hot, I mean nice. And since his voice change I like listening his voice,” Jessie smiled.

They all laughed and Jared sits up a little bit straighter with Jessie on his left, Jason on his right. He kissed Jess on her naked shoulder and gave an open mouthed kiss to Jason.   
“Many, many summer ago…” he began, “when the forest was still very young as were the earth, the rocks and the moon, the First Woman walked here. She had golden hair and her breasts were like…. I don’t know… like yours Jess beautiful and wonderful to touch and kiss.” He cupped her left breast with one hand and kissed it tenderly.

“One day” Jared continued, “in a place between the forest and the rocks she saw him. He was handsome and strong. His hair was black as the night and his eyes sparkled like the stars. “  
Again Jared turned, this time to Jason and kissed him deeply, his tongue tasting Jason’s mouth. 

“It was love for both of them the moment they laid eyes on another.” Jared continued the tale of the beginning of time.

“Because the forest was still very young it did everything very fast. If the First Woman asked the trees to grow a house for her, they did it overnight. And if the First Man asked the young rocks to build a house for him, it only took them a handful of days to gather together to build it. And for a long, long time they lived together on the borders of the forest and the rocks. They played together between the rocks and made love in the forest. They ate heart berries so the First Woman never received a child and the First Man never could give her one.” 

Jared stopped here and put a heart berry between his lips. He kissed Jessie and pushed the berry with his tongue into her mouth. Then he did the same with Jason and slowly ate one himself. The berries were sweet, juicy and simply delicious.

“I believe the First Lovers lived only from heart berries.” Jessie said dreamily over Jared’s naked chest.

“Yes… maybe you are right.” Jared said thoughtfully. “But one day the First Woman said: “I wanna be joined with you. We are lovers. We are equals. We want to share our lives.” And the First Man saw the love in her eyes and he answered: “We want to share our lives. We are equals. We are lovers. I wanna be joined with you.” As ‘Joined’ they stopped eating heart berries and in time they conceived and had children. First they had Fred and Tina and then they had Tim and Frya. As their children grew up the First Woman and the First Man wanted to teach their children how to talk to the rocks and how to command the trees. But Fred and Frya only wanted to learn from the First Woman how to talk to the trees, how to command them to grow the houses we still live in even today. They desired to learn how to entwine the branches, so you could walk from one tree to the next without touching the ground. And so they talked to the trees and groomed our tree village. The Heart of the Forest. 

Tina and Tim on the other hand only wanted to learn from the First Man how to talk to the rocks, how to command them to form houses, towers and bridges. They founded Stone Statt. As time went by the Stone People slowly forgot how to talk to the rocks. They learned instead how to form stones and build houses with their hands. Today only the oldest part of the king’s palace is formed from the rocks own creations. Everything else the people build themselves.”

After a short pause Jared continued: “Forest People and Stone People are brothers and sisters. We have the same derivation and we should always honor the bond that we share,” and with those words Jared ended the story of the First Lovers.

“I have had enough heart berries,” Jason stated “It would be a shame to waste this beautiful time and this gift from the gods to just listen to the story of the First Lovers. I would like to make love to you...” his fingers were stroking Jared’s inner thigh.

“Come on Jared, play with us.” Jessie kissed Jason over Jared’s naked abdomen. 

Jared loved playing with Jason and Jess. They had grown up together so it was not unusual to explore their sexuality together, at least not here in the Great Forrest. Jared looked in Jessie’s eyes and couldn’t help himself he had to kiss her. 

She looked at him with lust blown eyes and reached up to curl her hand in his floppy brown hair and pulled him to her lips. Jason came up on her other side, so Jessie was now between Jared and Jason. Jared kissed her breasts while Jason started kissing Jessie’s between her legs.

They used to play like this often. They were forest people after all. 

Jared looked down at Jessie’s body watching Jason; seeing him kissing her like that had him hard as a tree trunk in no time. He left Jessie to the care of Jason and knee walked behind Jason. Jason was on his knees between Jessie’s legs. Jared trailed his hands down Jason’s back till he reached his ass cheeks. He carefully pulled them apart and placed a kiss on his puckered hole. 

While Jared pushed his tongue into Jason’s opening Jason did the same with Jessie. Some time later all three of them were writhing in pleasure and while they were reaching their climax together no one saw the green preying eyes hidden among the trees and bushes watching them with burning desire and envy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 1

Jared was hunting when he saw them… horse tracks. Two horses in the middle of the Great Forest! His people didn’t use horses. In keeping with the old ways, they didn’t use horses, they didn’t build houses of stone and they didn’t farm. Not because they didn’t know how, just because they didn’t need to. The Great Forest provided his people with everything they needed and the little things they didn’t find in the forest they obtained by trading goods with the farmers and the Stone people who lived beyond the borders of the Great Forest. 

But now Jared had found tracks of horses, far inside their borders. He knew it had to be Stone people because the few farmers in the area didn’t have horses either. 

Maybe he should follow the tracks; maybe someone had gotten lost in the forest and couldn’t find their way back out. Jared had to grin because getting lost in the forest was something so typical for Stone people, not that many of them wandered into the forest. Usually they avoided the woods completely. 

Jared decided to follow the hoof prints, maybe someone needed his help and it was always nice to talk to new people. Best way to learn about something new. He climbed up the tree and followed the tracks by walking up onto the branches and jumping from tree to tree. 

It didn’t take him long to find the two riders. After all they were Stone people which meant they were loud and on horseback and therefore easy to find. He was surprised when he saw the trespassers were actually two men of the royal guard. They were dressed in the usual grey uniform of the royal guards with the golden crown embroidered on their tunics. These guys never got lost because in the past they simply would burn the forest down until they found a way out. He didn’t show himself, since Jared thought it much wiser to stay hidden up in the trees.

“There is nobody here!” Said one of guards, a young man with blond hair, “If the king wants a new toy he should go and find it himself...”

“You better watch your mouth. If anyone might hear you talk like that, you could have a dance with the whip,” answered the other guard, who was several years older than the first young soldier, “and as long as the king or Gunnar tells me to search for a new toy to distract the king from running his own country, I do as they say.

You do not understand how Gunnar thinks because you are new to the First House or should I use the new word ‘palace’? Anyhow you should know that maybe Jensen is the new king, but his uncle, Gunnar, well let’s say he just likes to keep Jensen as distracted from his duties as he can.” 

Jared had heard enough. He didn’t care about the king, missing toys or the game of power in the First House; he only cared about getting these guards out of the forest. So he ran ahead moving quickly and quietly among the tree branches overhead and then using his Forest gift he called to the minds of their horses to follow his voice. 

Slowly, so the riders wouldn’t notice he mentally led their steeds back to the edge of the forest.  
The guards were still talking loudly about how the king did this, and Gunnar did that.   
“You see, I told you I knew the way out. There is the end of the forest. We will be home by sunset,” said the older guard, and Jared had to grin to himself, sometimes it was too easy to get rid of the Stone People. 

***************

Jared had spied a herd of deer in a clearing. It was getting close to sunset and he had promised some game for his people. Carefully he got closer. He pulled an arrow from his quiver, nocked it against his bowstring and pulled back. The herd was more than 100 yards away but he was one of the best hunters in his village. He let go of the arrow and saw the deer drop dead. The herd took off and Jared jogged to his kill, offering a thank you prayer to the spirits. He put the deer over his broad shoulders to carry it back to his settlement. 

To the Stone People it wouldn’t look like a village or settlement at all. There weren’t any huts on the ground, instead Jared and his people lived the way the First Woman had shown to her children. 

The trees here were the oldest and tallest in the entire forest. The Forest People reverently called these the First Trees. For some of the largest trees it required as many as fifteen men to join hands to reach around the giant trunks. Trees so big, people could easily live up among the huge branches. Almost all of the ‘First Trees’ had ‘tree rooms’ grown and formed by the trees themselves to house the Forest People.

The separate trees were all connected by huge branches and walkways built by Jared’s people. Some of the trees had additional ‘blisters’ that had formed upon the big tree trunks to serve as additional housing. Jared’s family lived in one of the bigger tree rooms. Actually ‘tree room’ was not correct term since their living space contained four different “rooms”, the main room, and the sleeping room of his father, the girls’ room and Jared’s blister. Jared couldn’t imagine living in a stone house, these were living beings, still growing and he always thought of the trees and his people as a single unified entity. 

Jared climbed up the tree that held the common kitchen area for all his people. “Oh, Jared, thank the Firsts for your hunting skills.” Marge beamed at Jared as he laid his fresh kill before her.

“I promised you some game today and I always keep my promises.” Jared answered with a smile. He liked Marge, when he had been a child she had been the one to go to for dried berries or other treats. Bringing her his kill meant he would be on good terms with her the next time she made some honey cookies. Jared waved her a farewell and turned to go to his family quarters.

“Your father was looking for you earlier,” Marge called after him. “He is in The Middle.” 

“Okay, I’ll go there.” Jared called over his shoulder.

The Middle was their equivalent to a town square. One huge tree trunk had naturally split into two separate branches and so created a square at the base of the branches division. There were always some benches and tables set up because many of the Forest People would join here over the meals prepared by Marge and her helpers. 

“I see you had success on your hunt,” his father proudly greeted him. Gavin, Jared’s father, was the chief of their people. They had chosen him twelve summers ago when Jared had turned seven. He would stay chief as long as the Forest people were pleased with his decisions. While the position of the chief wasn’t inherited, Jared’s family had over the centuries provided more chiefs than any other family. 

“Yes, I was down at the clearing. It took me a little longer than I thought because I ran into some horsemen from Stone Statt… royal guards.” Jared told his father. 

“Did they see you?” Gavin asked, alarmed.

Jared snorted “No way. Their horses were smarter than they were. I led them back to edge of the forest, so the riders wouldn’t do anything stupid.”

Gavin looked with love and more than a little pride at his only son. Jared had grown up over the last four years, had left the little boy he was behind and showed the promise of the strong, young man he would become. With his nineteen summers his frame still held the promise to grow even more, even if he was already towering over most of the other people in their village. His handsome face with the fox-tilted eyes was open and friendly, he had his shoulder-length hair tied back with a leather band, as usual his chest was bare and he wore soft leather breeches. Gavin knew and saw the looks Jared mostly ignored. There were several people who wanted to take the vows with Jared but Jared hadn’t shown any interest in anyone for more than playing. Gavin sighed it was great to be young. 

“Good, royal guards so deep in the forest… I wonder what they wanted here,” Gavin mused. 

“They were looking for a new toy for King Jensen.” Jared said. 

“King Jensen? They really crowned someone so young! Stone People, always so hungry for power!” Gavin said surprised.

“Do you know him?” Jared asked his father. 

“I met the boy twelve years ago in Stone Statt. As the new Chief I went to introduce myself to his father, King John.” Gavin explained to Jared. 

Jared remembered his first and last visit to the stone city seven years ago. Their mother had been the daughter of a nobleman living close to the First Forest. And when Gavin had asked for her hand in marriage her father had happily agreed, relieved that he had married off at least one of his twelve daughters. 

Jared never met anybody from his mother’s family except for the one time he briefly met his uncle. They had visited his mother’s brother to tell him Jared’s mother had died giving birth to Jared’s youngest sister, Kim. The uncle didn’t appear to care much about a sister he barely remembered or her children who were growing up like savages in the forest.

The Stone city had been overwhelming for young Jared. Too many people living too close together and he was still grieving the loss of his beloved mother. Jared and his other sister, Mel, had been relieved when they had returned to the First Forest with their father that same day. 

************************************

 

His mother had been the reason why Jared, Mel, and even Kim, had left the First Forest in the first place. Most Forest People would never walk out of the forest if they had a choice. But thanks to their mother, Jared and his sisters spoke the common tongue that all people, Stone or Forest, spoke. At his mother’s insistence he had learned to speak both Girenian and Arrokadian. Jared had always been an eager student and he had loved when his mother taught him to read and write or explained math or talked to him in foreign languages that nobody but them could understand. His mother’s noble upbringing had given her knowledge far above the average populace. His sister Mel, two years younger than Jared, had hated to sit around and learn “Stupid Stone people things” as she called it. Gavin had always thought that Jared took after their mother learning by reading about it, but in the last two years Jared had left the eager student behind and become a hunter. Not just any hunter, one of the best hunters in the entire forest. In the same way that Jared had made an effort to study, he put all his energies into learning how to hunt, to fight and to protect the ones he loved.

“You wanted to speak to me?” Jared asked his father. 

“Ahm… yes, Kim has made you something.” Gavin said with a smirk.

Jared cringed and made an unhappy face “What did she make? Was she trying to cook again?”

“Baking… She was baking for you. I’m not absolutely sure but I think she made some honey cookies for you.” Gavin said, trying and failing to keep a straight face.  
“Come, Jared, let’s get your two sisters, so we can all eat together.” 

“That’s not necessary, here we are.” Mel suddenly said. Mel was seventeen summers and a real beauty and wild cat. But where Jared had inherited the traits of both their parents’ tribes, tall and strong like the Stone People, with ‘fox eye’ the color of the ever changing sky, like the Forest People, Mel on the other hand was a pure-blooded forest child. Long wavy, brown hair, darkly tanned skin, and her body held the promise of copious curves. In her arms she held their youngest family member, Kim, seven summers young, who was carrying a basket. As much as Mel was a child of the forest, Kim resembled her mother’s heritage. She had long, straight hair and her creamy, pale skin was dotted with freckles. 

“Jared…! Jared, I made something for you. All by myself!” The little one cried out. Jared was always her favorite. She worshiped the ground her brother walked on. 

“What did you make for me, gooseberry?” Jared asked with a big smile. Even if he hated to eat her “special treats” he would never tell her that everything she had made so far was simply inedible. He always bravely choked down the treats each time, chasing the unpleasant flavors away with copious amount of juice or water.

“It’s a surprise and you have to wait until after we have finished our meal.” She answered with the serious voice of a seven-year-old.

Much later after Jared had finished his meal in the light of the fires and surrounded by his family and friends, he began a solitary climb up into the highest tree branches. Up and up he went to the very top of his home tree. The first part of his climb took him through the part of his home village located on this tree but after several minutes he left the village behind and continued to climb even further up the tree. It took Jared quite a while to reach the top, he met one guard at the lookout station but his intended destination was still a little bit higher. 

It was a full moon that night and the sky was black velvet. At last Jared had reached his destination. The highest part of his home looked like a dead branch just a bark-free weathered, white trunk with no further foliage. Jared climbed the last three meters of the vertical trunk and was finally standing at the very top of the forest. He could see for miles and miles and couldn’t see anything other than green tree tops and the stars above. It was the most peaceful place in Jared’s world. His father had shown Jared this place after his mother had died. For him it was his refuge, his place of solitude. Here he thanked his forest for his home. Here he said his good night and sometimes his good morning prayers. 

Little did he know that it would be a long, long time before he would stand here again.

 

*******************

 

 

 

Chapter 2

It was early morning before sunrise, when Gavin was shaking Jared awake. Silently he led Jared out of the family’s tree room while his sisters still slept. Outside their rooms huddled in the Middle there was a group of five people waiting for them.

“The parents of Jenny and Sol just told me their children have been missing since yesterday afternoon. They went out to find mushrooms.” Gavin told them with a slight smile ´finding mushrooms´ was a phrase for `playing together´. 

“Where did they go?” Jared asked he knew both Jenny and Sol. They were all the Same age but weren’t really close friends.

“They usually went to the big stones.” Gavin said with a concerned frown. During the last two years several young people from their tribe had simply disappeared. They had vanished without a trace, never to be seen again. With each incident there had always been prints from horses’ hooves and men’s boots at the site of their disappearances.

“Slave traders form Stone Statt?” One of the other hunters suggested. 

“I think so,” Gavin concurred, “but we need proof for the Stone People’s laws to help us. We are brothers and sisters, even by their law, but do you remember the first time I went to complain about the taking of our people?” 

Jared and some other man sadly shook their heads in response as they recalled that day. 

“They told me I couldn’t come into their town and demand that a slave trader give me a slave, just because I claimed they were my people. They demanded that I provide proof that they were our people!” His father shook his own head in disbelief over such a rule.

“What do you want us to do?” Jared frowned.

“As our best hunters I would like you to use your tracking skills to find them. Rescue Jenny and Sol and, if possible, bring the slave traders back here so we can bring them before their own law. Maybe they will confess and we could be able to free the others as well.”

The oldest hunter nodded and said “They will have to travel at a slow space with Jenny and Sol walking behind they won’t be able to move too quickly. It’s more than possible they are still in or close to the forest. Jared, you will go to the road that leads to the Grand farm. Jason, you will go to the road that leads along the Grey Lake.” And so were each of the hunters were sent out.

It took Jared two hours walking, jumping, running and climbing in the trees to reach the area he was suppose to search. He was still up in the trees when he heard horses and saw the slave traders with Jenny and Sol for the first time. He knew that a little bit further down the road there was a perfect spot for his ambush. The road to the Grand farm and Stone Statt wound through a section of old strong trees here and there was a lot of underbrush to provide him cover. He climbed up the tree to wait for the little group. It would have been far easier if his father hadn’t asked them to let the slave traders live, for then he could have simply taken them out one by one with his arrows. But now he had to plan how to free Jenny and Sol and still bring the slave traders to his father. 

Jared has been sitting on a branch for some minutes when he finally heard the horses approaching and a short time later the little group came into view. There were three traders on horseback with Jenny and Sol stumbling along behind the last horse. Their hands were bound behind their backs and around their necks they each wore an iron slave collar with a leash attached. The last horseman was holding the leashes. 

Jared let the first two horsemen pass by beneath him and then jumped from his branch to land right behind the slave trader on the last horse’s broad back. The man was so startled he didn’t have time to even think about fighting back. Jared’s punch hit him right in the face and knocked him unconscious and out of the saddle. 

Dropping to the ground, Jared quickly removed the leashes and helped Jenny and Sol to get rid of the collars and bindings. 

“Sol, Jenny… quickly now, run back to the village” Jared whispered urgently. Sol and Jenny turned without hesitation into the thick forest and started to run while Jared went after the two other slave traders. He took the second one out just like the first and was about to approach the last of the three when suddenly a large group of royal guards, displaying the royal banner appeared around the bend in the trail. It took the men only a moment to take in the situation.

“That’s him!” someone shouted. “Catch him! But don’t hurt him.” 

Jared suddenly found himself surrounded and greatly outnumbered. He had lost his advantage of surprise and he had a bad feeling that the guards wouldn’t listen to pleadings of some forest boy. 

He turned around to run back into the forest, but some guards already had cut off that way of escape. So Jared scrambled up a tree trunk and tried to make his way back into the security of the inner forest. He had almost made it when something wrapped itself around his legs and he fell. Jared tried to catch himself so he wouldn’t break every bone in his body, but his feet were still tangled together and he couldn’t avoid falling the last two meters. 

He landed right before the biggest horse he had ever seen. Jared wanted to rise back onto his feet, but the guards were upon him instantly. He fought to get free, with the safety of his home only a few feet away. He still had his arrows and bow in his hand and kept fighting but there were just too many guards. He had knocked out two and three more were wounded in the struggle, but finally one guard managed to sneak up behind him and hit him hard in the back of the head. The last thing Jared saw was the evil smile of the rider on the big black horse and then he lost consciousness. 

Jensen was mesmerized. The way the young man had fought with his guards was wild and animalistic. When Jensen had been a kid his father had taken him once on a cougar hunt. The beast had fought tooth and nail, it had killed two hunters but in the end it was captured and brought to the palace. Jensen remembered well its beauty and its strength. Well, this boy would be his, just as that cougar had been so many years before.

“I told you not to hurt him.” King Jensen growled at his personal guard, Elo. 

“I’m sorry, my king...” Elo explained with a deep bow “but he almost made it back to his jungle and we wouldn’t stand a chance in there.” 

 

He didn’t sound too apologetic but he was just one of a very small handful of friends King Jensen still had left so the young ruler let it pass. For a fleeting second King Jensen imagined how a full grown warrior of the forest people would look fighting, but it was easily forgotten just like the end of the beast.

“Put him on a horse,” he ordered, “and secure him”. 

“What about the slave traders?” Elo dared to ask, if King Jensen was in this mood it was dangerous even for him to ask certain questions.

“I don’t see any slave traders. There are only three innocent travelers, who were viciously attacked by this young man and then he attacked the royal banner and The King, as well. His actions will be punished. But we are not savages, I will not do this in this wilderness, his sentencing will be announced before the entire the palace. Tell the travelers they are witnesses and we will borrow one of their horses for our prisoner.” 

“Yes, my king,” Elo said. 

Jensen was proud of himself, ever since he had spied this magnificent creature in the meadow that day, he had wanted him for himself and whatever the king desired the king would get. So it was only natural that Jensen was there when they finally caught this forest boy.

“Put the prisoner on a horse. And let’s hurry, I don’t know if he was alone and I don’t want to be here if his friends come back to get him.” 

Elo passed along the orders. The unconscious guards and traders were slowly coming back to themselves so they could ride on their own. Elo considered collaring the forest boy with one of the slave collars but he was sure King Jensen would be against it, as long as the sentence had not yet been decreed. Elo was sure he already knew exactly what the verdict would be, but for now he just had to make sure his prisoner wouldn’t escape on the way to Stone Statt. He put a blindfold over the boy’s eyes and bound his arms behind his back, and then tossed him over the saddle of one of the traders’ horses. 

Sometimes, like now, it was hard to still be Jensen’s friend. They had known each other their whole lives. Elo was just two years older than King Jensen and they had grown up together. His mother had been a close friend to Jensen’s mother and he had never been impressed by Jensen’s status. They had the typical kid fights and had broken some windows and taken a lot of cookies from the palace kitchen without asking. Elo had always known one day Jensen would be king, but he hadn’t counted on how much it would change his friend. 

The guards were all back on their horses and Elo called out to them to move quickly so they would reach Stone Statt before nightfall.

 

*************

 

His head hurt and he felt sick to his stomach from the blow to the head. Jared swallowed down the bile, but the rocking motion didn’t stop and there was nothing to help him determine which direction was up or down. He felt even more nauseated and suddenly he couldn’t hold it back any longer, the smell of the unfamiliar horse, the motion, his head it all became too much and he threw up. 

“Looks like he’s waking up,” Jared heard a voice to his right. 

“Eeewww…. He’s made a mess of himself” a different voice to his left.

“We’ll stop at Grand’s farm in half an hour; we’ll clean him up there,” the first voice again.

Elo had watched the exchange from the row of riders behind the prisoner, he knew he had knocked the kid in the head pretty hard and sometimes head wounds had serious side effects. 

King Jensen had gotten bored riding at a slower pace because of the wounded and the forest boy. He had taken off with a small escort and he would be in Stone Statt hours before they arrived. When they reached Grand’s farm they took the opportunity for a needed break for the horses and the guards. The two men who were guarding the prisoner had taken the boy from the horse and were enthusiastically dunking his head in a barrel filled with rainwater. The boy was trying to catch his breath and seemed to be swallowing a lot of water. After several minutes of rough cleaning the boy looked like a drowned cat.

“Why are you doing this?” the boy asked pleadingly. Only Elo seemed surprised that the boy spoke in their tongue. 

His guards only laughed cruelly at him. “You are under arrest by the order of King Jensen,” Elo said stepping closer. 

“What? What am I accused of?” The boy asked again. 

“For attacking three citizens of Stone Statt...” 

“They were slave traders! They had captured two of my people. We are brothers by your law, you cannot enslave our people.” 

His young prisoner was standing with his hands tied behind his back but somehow he looked… unaffected by his burly guards like they weren’t even there and he was …. Truly free. 

Elo was surprised by the boy’s adamant words spoken in the tongue of the Stone people, what did this forest boy know about their language or even their laws? Of course he was right, Forest people and Stone people shared the same roots. Therefore they were free and not to be taken as slaves. But so far never had one of them claimed to be free by law for being one of the forest people. And it was a well-known fact that forest people made the best pleasure slaves. 

So instead of agreeing, Elo answered, “There is no proof of this. We’ve got three victims from your attack and many witnesses. Gag him. I’m tired of listening to this cowardly attacker of innocent travelers.” Elo had to turn away from the boy’s sheer look of betrayal.

Elo was lying, he would have liked to talk to this young man, he seemed quite knowledgeable but Elo knew this boy’s future was decided for him already and there was nothing he could do to help him avoid it. And for that he hated himself and his friend, King Jensen, just a little bit more.

 

*************

Jensen had arrived in Stone Statt after pushing his stallion to a nearly breakneck gallop, he loved that the guards had had trouble keeping up with him. After he handed his horse back to one of the stable boys he strode swiftly to his private chambers and then to the royal harem where he found Cas, his advisor. 

Elo and Cas were the only people Jensen would consider his true friends. From an early age Jensen had learned that as the future king he could have no really close friends, and putting his trust in somebody was a privilege that only two people had achieved so far… Cas and Elo.

“Jensen! Jensen!” Cas called out, “Where have you been?” Cas had his this-week’s-favorite-boy naked in his left arm. The young man looked fucked out and he had been kissing Cas’s naked chest but now Cas waved him away. “Off you go, boy. The King and I have business to discuss. Clean yourself, I will see you and Sara later tonight.” With that Cas sent the boy on his way. He rearranged his trousers and looked questioningly at Jensen.

“I went with the guards into the forest today and found myself a wild catch.” Jensen said as he let his eyes wander. The royal harem was where the palace kept its pleasure slaves for the royal family and high ranking members of the court. The rooms were large, open and spacious with pools and fountains and cushions. The quarters were luxurious but heavily guarded because not all inhabitants of the harem were there by choice. More importantly this wing belonged to the most private part of the palace, in close proximity to the chambers of the king and his family and were therefore protected. 

“Oh, Jensen, we needed you here today. The envoy from Arroka arrived and it would have been best if you had greeted him. There are certain things I can’t represent you for...” Cas complained. 

“I have absolute faith and trust in you. God, Cas, you should have seen the boy fighting. Lucky me, I’m gonna tamefuck him tonight.” 

“Jensen, listen… we have a royal dinner tonight. You have to attend, if you want to avoid a war with the Girian...” 

“Cas… don’t be so melodramatic,” then seeing the look of displeasure on his advisor’s face, the King rolled his eyes. “Fine… I’ll be there!” Jensen conceded with an exasperated sigh. 

Cas sighed too. Jensen had been officially crowned king almost one year ago. Many unscrupulous people had taken one look at the youth and inattentiveness of the new king and decided that now was the time to turn the tables in their favor and suddenly there were slaves everywhere again. News had come that several raids had occurred along the border to Arroka, the attacks had taken place in several of their smaller villages. Jensen’s uncle, Gunnar, had ridden quite ceremoniously to the rescue and the ambushes had ceased.

Cas didn’t know or what exactly Gunnar had told Jensen, but lately the king appeared to be handing over more power and many more responsibilities to his uncle, while he started enjoying the pleasures that came with being king quite excessively. Cas could only hope that Jensen would take on more responsibility and finally become the king Cas knew he could be.

 

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Chapter 3

Jared had been to Stone Statt only once before, when he had visited his mother’s brother and that had been nearly seven years ago. In the fading daylight Jared didn’t know if it was his imagination, but the city seemed dirtier and less cared for than back then. There were no flowers along the streets and walkways, the water in the town fountain looked neglected and dirty. There seemed to be many traders and warriors from Arroka on the streets and many, many slaves. Jared knew that by Stone Statt laws the sentence for certain crimes was enslavement, but not all these slaves could be criminals, could they? Could so many people be guilty in the eyes of the law for a sentence that sanctioned enslavement as punishment, which in Jared’s eyes was a worse fate than a death sentence? 

They reached the palest building on the palace grounds and the leader of the guards, the three traders and Jared were escorted right from the courtyard into the biggest room Jared had ever seen. The room was built of stone and there were many rows of benches where people were sitting and waiting for… for what…. Jared didn’t know. The room smelled of too many people and fear, there were some torches to brighten the room’s interior and right at the front on a small raised platform sat a table with a chair and a big fat man with bad teeth. The guards pushed Jared right to the front.

“What’s the crime with this one?” the fat man barked at the guards.

“Judge Wilkes,” the leader of the guards addressed the man after stepping forward, “the King, myself and 25 of the royal guard were witnesses as this young man attacked three travelers.” 

“Thank you, Lord Elo.” Judge Wilkes said. “The victims?” 

The three slave traders stepped forward and told the judge that Jared had assaulted them without any reason. They never mentioned that they had taken Jenny and Sol and the judge never asked for their business. 

Then Judge Wilkes turned his gaze to Jared, “What’s your name, boy?”

“My name is Jared and these men…”

“Only answer the questions that are asked! Is it true you attacked those three men?” Judge Wilkes asked.

“They had…” Jared started.

“Answer my question! Is it true you attacked those men?” 

“Yes, but…” Jared tried again.

“It may be recorded that the defendant confessed to his crime.”

“What? No!” Jared yelled in protest. “Please… just listen to me,” he shouted.

“Silence! Obviously this boy is a savage and doesn’t know protocol and proper behavior in front of the royal court. Gag him! Then I will pronounce his sentence.”

Two guards stepped toward Jared holding him efficiently and gagging him in no time. Jared didn’t know what to think, this whole trial was a farce. His mother had always told him how reliable and fair the law in Stone Statt was, but this seemed more like the faked Arrokadian slaves trials his mother had warned him about.

A large, brass gong behind the judge was struck and Judge Wilkes called out to the room, “Hear the verdict in the name of our beloved King Jensen. This boy is sentenced to life long slavery. And because he committed his abhorrent crime in the face of our King, he will be sent to the palace. May his service be his means of reparation for harm done and may his service bring many years of satisfaction to his King and Master.” 

There were some sniggers when the judge had announced the punishment like they knew something Jared didn’t know or suspect. He had stopped struggling it was useless with his hands still bound he didn’t stand a chance against the heavily armed guards.

He couldn’t believe what he had just heard. They made him a slave. He was a free man! He was one of the descendants of the First! They were going to send him to the palace. No! He needed to go home, his father was waiting for him and Jared had to make sure Sol and Jenny had safely returned to the village. His sister, Kim, was having her first day in Marge’s care and he was sure she would have made something for him. How could so many things change in such a short time? How could his life be turned upside down so quickly?

Elo stepped closer to the prisoner and the guards and ordered them to follow him. The little group left the courthouse, crossed the huge courtyard, and entered the royal palace. Elo had always considered himself a man of honor, but being at the service of his royal friend forced him to bend some of the rules he wanted to live by. Like now, Elo knew for sure this boy was innocent and that the three travelers had been slave traders, but he had his orders.

King Jensen had wanted this boy for quite a while, he had repeatedly sent out royal guards to search the forest for this very boy. Elo didn’t understand where this obsession had come from but he knew that the boy never had a chance or choice in this matter. So all he could do was attempt to make it as easy as possible for … what was his name… oh yes, Jared. It fit him. He knew Jensen would be there to watch the cuffing. Usually all slaves wore collars and cuffs, but the royal pleasure slaves only wore cuffs and some times nothing else. 

Elo felt himself get hard when he remembered that black slave woman with the golden cuffs around her wrists and ankles. She had been his first pleasure slave out of the royal harem and he had to admit she had been very skilled. He wondered what the best way was to ease Jared into his future life as the king’s pleasure slave. And suddenly he had the solution. 

Still bound and gagged they dragged Jared through the palace. It was obvious they were taking the servants’ passageways, short cutting the corridors official visitors or high ranking inhabitants would use. They stopped in a plain room with a wooden table, a cupboard and some chairs. It looked like a simple dining room. Lord Elo stepped to the cupboard and retrieved two glasses and a bottle. He then nodded to the two guards still holding Jared and they removed the gag and unbound his hands. 

Carefully Jared rubbed his arms where he had been bound and looked around. There was no way out, all together there were four guards and Lord Elo, not to mention he was in Stone Statt deep inside the royal palace but he knew he had to find a way to escape. 

Elo watched the young forest man, his darting glances assessing his situation. He knew he had to act fast before the boy tried something stupid. “I know this all seems hopeless but there are worse fates than a life long sentence of service to our king.” Elo said trying to be friendly, trying to not frighten Jared even more.

“Enslavement is not the same as serving the king by choice.” Jared said simply. 

That was true but not the direction Elo wanted this conversation to go. Picking up the bottle he filled one glass with a clear red liquid.

“Here… drink this… it will help you to relax.” Elo advised Jared. Jared reluctantly accepted the glass. He was very thirsty since he hadn’t had anything to drink the whole day. It smelled faintly like heart berries and Jared expected some kind of alcohol. He looked questioningly at Lord Elo who had poured himself a much smaller amount of the same elixir. 

“Drink up, it’s not poison.” Elo said smiling at Jared.

As Jared watched, Lord Elo brought the second glass to his own lips and took a tiny sip. Feeling reassured Jared swallowed some from his glass. Jared had wanted to take just a small sip but it tasted so good and smelled so temptingly of heart berries and home, so he didn’t stop until he had finished his drink.

“Good boy,” Elo said with a smile and Jared realized then that the man hadn’t drunk any more from his own glass. Instead he carefully poured the fluid from his glass back into the bottle. 

“It would be a shame to waste any of the cuori,” he said slyly.

Jared suddenly had a very bad feeling but before he could act on it strange warmth slid through his veins and a pleasant calmness settled over him. It felt like everything was happening in a dream and therefore didn’t matter, because it would all disappear once he woke up. 

“Follow me...” Elo ordered Jared. With a nod he sent the guards away and Jared obediently followed him into the next room. This room looked nothing like the dining room next door. This room was huge and two stories high. On the upper level there was a gallery balcony on all four sides of the room, so that someone up there could observe what happened below. The floor and the walls were constructed of huge, chiseled stones and this dungeon-like room would have made Jared claustrophobic if it hadn’t only existed in this dream he was having. 

There were several single-sized beds all made out of the grey stone, on three of them were chained slaves. One man had been whipped for his back was covered with bloody whipping stripes. On the other cots were two women, one woman had obviously just given birth and was now crying over her newborn child. The other woman was but a young girl with her hands and feet bound spread-eagle to the four corners of her bed, she was naked and bleeding from her many piercings and moaning quietly. 

Jared knew he would be disgusted and afraid if he were awake, but thank the First this was only a dream.

“Strip” Elo ordered and Jared started to undress. 

He opened his breeches and let them fall to the floor. He wore two necklaces one from his father and one from Kim and both of them were very dear to him, but since this was a dream it didn’t matter they would still be his once the morning came. Soon he was standing naked next to Lord Elo who was greeting someone on the balcony.

Jared looked up and there stood the most beautiful man he had ever seen. His hair had the color of the sandy banks of the Great River; his skin was a creamy white with sun spots dancing upon it. But the most beautiful thing about this man were his eyes, they were the color of the forest after a spring rain.

What a wonderful dream and he was already naked… maybe this magnificent man would come down and they could play together maybe even Elo would join them? Jared felt himself growing hard just looking at this man. 

Suddenly a bald man appeared, “My King, Lord Elo…. how may I be of service to you?” he asked bowing to the beautiful man above him and nodding an acknowledgement to the lord. 

“I have a dinner to attend later tonight and I would like to have the company of my newest … acquisition …. as a superb example … of how fast our reformed judicial system works. So today… only the cuffs… he is ‘life-long’ so make them last, Luxor. And, Luxor? The boy is beautiful…the cuffs should be the same. What do you think Elo?”

“With Jared, you have your collection complete, I think.” Elo said carefully. 

“Yes. I have never had a Forest boy before. Jared? Is that his name? I like it… he can keep it. I see you gave him cuori – I didn’t order that, did I?” 

“No, my King, but you saw him fighting and because I knew you had plans with him tonight… I figured …” Elo’s voice trailed off in uncertainty.

“Relax, my friend, it’s okay. I would have done it anyhow. I like them wild but not fighting me,” King Jensen smiled down at Elo and Lord Elo relaxed visibly. 

Meanwhile the bald man (Luxor?) had produced four golden cuffs. They looked more like shorter versions of a warrior’s vambrace and jambeau than slave cuffs. They were quite beautiful, shining gold and ornately engraved with a tree upon them and King Jensen’s personal crest. The only obvious sign that they were actually slave cuffs were the rings attached to them for a leash or chains.

“Oh, how I would like to see … Jared … bound to the cross, struggling to avoid the unavoidable … Well, we know he wouldn’t be ashamed of being naked in front of us all would he? He is no Arrokadian after all, is he?” Seeing the semi-alertness of Jared’s member, the green-eyed dream grinned, “I like that he is aroused… keep him that way. Now put the cuffs on.”

Jared was told to hold out his arms and the vambraces were put around his wrists and locked on with a small key, then the jambeau were added, a little bit above his ankles, covering part of his shins. 

“I want him ready and prepared in two hours.” With that the beautiful man, no King Jensen, turned around and left Jared with Elo and the bald man.

“Was he serious?” the Luxor asked Elo after the King was gone. “Does his majesty really want a new ’wild catch’ at a royal dinner, the same day he was captured? He is feral. He has had no training at all. There used to be a protocol to follow... How will he know how to behave?”

“I took care of this. He had a whole glass of cuori. That should keep him calm and docile well into the night.” 

“For certain it will.” Luxor said. ”So that’s not his natural reaction?” he asked gesturing towards Jared’s erection. 

“Does it matter what the boy prefers? I think he would fight us tooth and nail if it wasn’t for the cuori.” Elo said. “If you’ll excuse me now… I have other duties to attend to. You have your orders. Bring Jared to the royal harem for further preparation and to be picked up in time for the royal dinner.”

Jared was still in this strange dream. They had put beautiful vambrace and jambeau on each of his arms and legs they looked great on him! The bald man was leading him down a long corridor and now he was talking so maybe Jared should listen to him.

“Man, I am most thankful for Lord Elo giving you the cuori. I don’t wanna know how many guards we would need if you decided to fight.” His hand caressed Jared’s naked torso and muscles. “So thankful we don’t need that. If you asked me they should give all new slaves cuori for … I don’t know a month or two maybe. After that I don’t think they would have any free will left or would even want to have it.”

 

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Chapter 4

They reached the beautifully carved wooden doors to the royal harem. The overseer, Rob, an older man with a beard and thinning hair greeted them.

“You must be the forest boy King Jensen is so goopy about. Hurry up… we only have onehunderdandtwentyfour minutes left to have you ready.” 

“Lord Elo gave him a glass cuori.” Luxor said. 

“Good. That just makes it easier for me.” 

Jared was led through his dreamland to a big pool where a young woman and a young man were waiting naked in the water for him. Jared stepped down into the water and reached out to kiss the girl but she turned away. They both started to clean Jared; even if he hadn’t realized it in his current state he had been pretty dirty. 

Jared just felt great, the clear warm water revitalized him and the touching, stroking hands kept him aroused through the whole cleaning. After he had been cleaned he was dried and his body was oiled by the young man. He kept his movements even and almost emotionless, but when he started to put oil on Jared’s member and down his crack, Jared just couldn’t helped himself and he grabbed the boy kissed him hard and demanding. 

“Jared, stop!” a harsh voice ordered him, “Do you remember the king?” 

Jared nodded, how could he forget a man like that? He was the evidence and the reason that this was a dream. 

“You will be his tonight. Your kisses are only his to take. Your body will be his tonight. You will kneel at his feet tonight at the dinner and he will feed you. Can you do this? Can you be his good slave, pet?”

Jared nodded he would do anything, be anything if that meant being close to the beautiful man. 

The girl had started to braid his bangs with feathers and glass beads. His still hard and standing proud member was now encircled by a golden ring sitting snugly at the base.

“Lean forward.” Jared was ordered. The boy was now kneeling behind Jared and he felt his warm oiled fingers circling his rim. The warm and scented oil eased the way when first one, then two fingers entered Jared. He moaned and wished it was the king playing with his body. After the boy had three fingers inside Jared he rubbed in some kind of thick greasy paste and then forced a carved wooden plug into Jared’s opening. The base of the plug was encrusted with gems, so when Jared knelt or bent forward you could see it sitting prettily between his cheeks. 

At last he was dressed in some kind of loincloth, it was very, very short and his erection tented it so you could almost see his balls. 

What a funny dream Jared thought again, almost sniggering to himself. He now looked the way Stone Statt people always thought Forest People would look, how stupid! A loincloth – ridiculous, he always wore pants but if his dream king wanted him looking like that then it was fine… ridiculous… but fine.

Rob looked appraisingly at the young man, the piece of leather wasn’t meant as clothing, slightly more than a belt it only made it plainly clear that Jared, the Forest boy, was dressed up and prepared for the King.

 

*******************************

Jensen was in a splendid mood. The boy was his tonight. He had seen the boy’s reaction to him and was very pleased by it. Jensen looked at himself in the mirror. He was wearing a long dark green velvet tunic with golden lining and a golden dome of the palace embroidered on his back. Jensen knew he looked good in this tunic; like the king he truly was. 

Should he pick up … what was his name … Jared… or should he have the boy brought to him? Since Jared was under cuori Jensen figured he would pick up Jared with a great royal escort and then make a big entry in the dining hall. Yes, that sounded like a good plan. He would pick up his toy… maybe they had some time before dinner to…

“My king, it is time.” His personal servant, Kent, said in a quiet voice.

“Yes, summon the escort. We shall proceed to the harem to pick up Jared.”

“Jared? My king?” Kent asked quietly.

“The forest boy I captured this morning.” Jensen said proudly.

“I see.”

There were two types of visits by the King to the harem. First were the times when Jensen just came in to fuck one of the pleasure slaves or to meet with Cas and Elo. And the second types were the official visits, when the King came to pick up his new favorite.

The slave was put on display and presented to the King. Sometimes a younger noble boy or girl was gifted to the harem. It even happened that a prince or princess of a neighboring country might be sent to the harem in hopes of becoming a favorite or more. Jensen’s own great grandmother, for example, had married the Girian prince out of the harem and his father had married a common girl out of the harem.

Usually the King or Queen from Stone Statt married someone out of the harem. So if someone wanted to marry their child into the royal family they had to give their child to the harem. But that didn’t guaranty that the child would be chosen by the King or Queen. So giving a child to the royal harem was a mixed blessing. It could mean the child could become a King or Queen but it could also mean the child’s life was simply spent in a royal whore house. Because if it wasn’t picked by the royals or married by some royal advisor or an other member of the royal court; it was common practice to give harem members after some years of use to a visitor as a gift or as a reward to an older soldier or supporter as a mark of favor from the King. For the royal court it was an easy solution to keep the harem young and it showed the gifted one an appreciation for a given service.

So how a pleasure slave was presented to the monarch was a sign of its ranking in the royal harem. The harem wasn’t equal, there were always fights going on to catch the eyes of a high ranking member of the court or of the King (or Queen) himself. It was said that the royal prince of Girian had been surrounded by precious gifts and his teacher and servants when the Queen had picked him up for the first time. 

When the wooden doors opened to present the Forest boy to the King, Jared was standing alone in the entry. You could only see Rob lingering behind the curtains to get the credit for preparing the slave.

Jared was naked except for the small loin cloth; his body was oiled and almost glowing in the candle light, his erect member tented the loin cloth, his long hair was braided and his tanned skin made a wonderful contrast to the golden slave cuffs. Jared’s cuffs were bound together with a leather and gold braided leash. But the most beautiful sight for Jensen was his open smile. Jensen hadn’t known he had dimples! And they made him even more stunning. Jensen walked up to Jared and took hold of his leash.

“Come with me.” He ordered.

Six of his royal guards before him; six behind and in the middle King Jensen and his newest slave, that’s how they entered the royal dining hall to the sound of a trumpeted fanfare. 

The Arrokadian ambassador got up from his seat, “King Jensen, I’m so honored to finally meet you.” Jensen greeted the ambassador and went to his chaise lounge. As usual in Stone Statt, the dinner was eaten with the diners in reclining positions. Jared knelt next to the King’s chaise lounge. Elo was standing guard behind the King and Cas would lie on the left next to the King on his own chaise lounge. The royal dining hall was a circular room; there were only a few designated chaise lounges for the King, his advisor and his uncle, as well as, the Arrokadian ambassador and his highest ranking advisors. Everybody else was lying on large body cushions.

Jensen had expected the meal to start, but then another fanfare sounded and his uncle, Gunnar, entered the room. 

Gunnar was a big balding man with front teeth like a rat. The last gleeman that had made a joke about his appearance had quickly lost his own teeth together with his tongue. 

“Thank you for waiting on me!” He called to the entire party and took the chaise lounge on King Jensen’s right. 

“We haven’t waited on you, my Lord. His majesty just appeared a minute ago and we were about to start.” Cas let Lord Gunnar know his rank. Jensen hadn’t heard what his uncle had said; since he was too busy stroking his new toy. 

Jared was as beautiful as Jensen had expected him to be, once he had been cleaned. 

The ambassador cleared his throat, “I see your hunt was successful today.”

“He was sentenced by the royal court to a life-long enslavement for attacking Stone Statt citizens...” Jensen tried to put the new boy’s presence into the right light. 

“You Stone people make things so complicated sometimes. We in Arroka believe in the right of the strongest. He is your slave because you had more power or you were stronger. He is one of the Forest people, correct?” 

Jensen was a bit irritated, the ambassador was right of course, but for appearances’ sake the king needed the sentencing to legitimize the boy’s presence, but he didn’t like what the ambassador had implied. 

“Yes, he is.” Jensen nodded.

“Is it true that they are naturals when it comes to sex? That they take drugs so they can fuck for hours? I even heard that sometimes they fuck animals they catch in the forest. It would be most entertaining to see this man fuck a boar or the other way around. What ever, he looks beautiful on his knees like this.” His foot sneaked out and under Jared’s loin cloth and he pushed hard against Jared’s plug he laugh cruelly at Jared’s groan. 

Jensen didn’t have time to respond because the meal was finally served and the ambassador had obviously had too much to drink already.

“Ambassador Boris, how do you like it here so far?” Cas tried to make small talk after dinner. His friend, King Jensen, truly disliked Boris and the attempts of the ambassador to touch Jensen’s new slave hadn’t helped either.

“If all your slaves look like this one, then we will have no problem signing the contracts.” 

“As you know, Boris,” Jensen said, skipping the title, protocol and diplomatic position of the man, “Slavery is illegal in Stone Statt; it is a sentence which is carried out seldom and used wisely as a deterrent to crime and to warn off any who are tempted to break our laws. And now if you’ll excuse us, we have a private dessert.” Jensen said rising to his feet and tucking Jared on his leash behind him.

After King Jensen and Jared had left, Lord Gunnar leaned in close to Ambassador Boris and said in a confidential voice, “You must excuse King Jensen… he is young and sometimes he doesn’t see the hard side of ruling a country, that’s were I come in. For the hard decisions…” 

After a look to the side at Cas he closed his mouth as if he had wanted to say something more but thought better of it. Instead Gunnar smiled and said, “Ahhh, but we have enough time to discuss all of this tomorrow. Ambassador Boris… Lord Cas….” With a slight bow, the man swiftly swept out of the room.

 

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Jensen knew why he hated royal dinners. They were boring. He met awful people, like this Boris fellow. And tonight they had kept him from his Forest boy, no… from his Jared. He liked that name, he had expected something dreadful, along the lines of “Rumpelstilzchen” or something else unpronounceable, but ‘Jared’ was a good name.

They headed back to his personal chambers. When they reached the doors Jensen sent the guards away and bid his friend Elo a fond good night. It might  
have been perhaps more fun tonight if Jensen, Elo and Cas had spent the night in the harem with Jared and the other pleasure slaves. Maybe tomorrow night... 

Jared still looked like a wet forest dream, but the drug was slowly taking its toll and he looked like he was running a low fever, but nothing would stop Jensen from claiming what was his to take. 

Jensen let go of the leash he was still holding and moved to a low table near to the bed. “Jared, come here!” 

Jared moved towards the King but stopped when he was told, “Not like that…. down on your hands and knees.” Obediently Jared dropped to all fours and then crawled to Jensen on his hands and knees.

“Good boy,” the King praised him. “Here have a drink.” Jensen knew some alcohol would prolong the cuori effects, while food and water helped to wash the drug out of the system, which was why he had fed Jared only a few bites during dinner.

After Jared had some wine the King said “Crawl to the bed.”

For the first time Jared looked around the spacious room. It was a room made for a King. Two large, ornately-carved book shelves held valuable leather-bound books on one wall, while thick, velvet-covered cushions were laid out in front of a huge stone fireplace near a low table. The outer wall held three large windows to let the sun in during the day and a huge four poster bed sat beneath one of those big windows. For Jared the bed looked like a midnight cloud with the dark blue silk pillows, warm and soft to touch.

Jensen had watched with fascination as Jared crawled toward the bed, he had seen the gem-encrusted end of the plug sitting between the boy’s ass cheeks and knew Jared had been prepared for him. Jared looked hot and sexy and yet strangely innocent. Jensen knew Boris had been right, Forest people were known to make fantastic bed slaves. He walked to the bed knowing Jared’s eyes had never left him and Jensen knew Jared had been aroused for hours. He took off his belt and peeled off his tunic, he hadn’t bothered with underwear, since he had been hoping for an early escape. And now everything he had been hoping for and wanting for so long was finally his to take. 

He reached out and touched the slave’s left calf and then let his hand wander up his leg until he reached the loin cloth. Jensen flipped the piece of leather away and could now look at Jared’s erect member still trapped in the golden cock ring. Jensen opened the cock ring. Months before in the forest he had watched Jared come undone and he wanted to see it again. Close this time, only his this time. He wanted to touch and taste all Jared had to offer and had given so freely to his friends in the forest. But that was in the past, things were different now. Jensen was the King, this was body was his to claim, to take, to possess. 

Jensen let go of Jared and sat down on the bed with his back to the headboard.   
“Come here and kiss me.” Jensen demanded. 

Jared rolled onto his stomach and crawled up the king’s body. When his mouth was level with Jensen’s groin, Jensen whispered “That’s a good place to start kissing.” Carefully Jared gave a kiss to the head of Jensen’s fully erect cock. Some precum had gathered at the tip and Jared licked it away with kitten licks. Suddenly, like Jared had found nectar he liked, he started licking and kissing Jensen’s cock. He traced the veins with his tongue when he reached the head; he dipped the tip of his tongue into Jensen’s slit over and over again. Jensen had choked in surprise; he had never expected Jared to be someone who was good at giving head. For people from Stone Statt it was humiliating and barbaric in the worst way and many of the other pleasure slaves hated to perform in that way too. But Jared was not just giving it he seemed to enjoy giving it as much as getting it. 

Jensen couldn’t hold back any longer, he took hold of Jared’s head and started to fuck his mouth, gone was the licking and kissing replaced by Jensen ramming his member down Jared’s throat until Jared had tears in his eyes and was struggling to breathe. Jensen let Jared go and pulled him up towards him. 

Jared looked at him with the eyes of a kicked puppy, had he done something wrong to his dream king? Why was he so rough, so uncaring? Making love was an equal thing of giving and taking with his people.

Jensen didn’t care. He got behind Jared “On your hands and knees, boy.” He pulled the plug carefully but quickly out of Jared. He could see Jared’s rim glinting with the lubricant as he eagerly pushed two fingers into Jared. Jared didn’t move, he neither flinched nor pushed back on Jensen’s probing fingers. Jensen pulled his fingers out and lined himself up. With a fast, hard snap of his hips he pushed his member all the way in. Jensen felt Jared’s warm channel gripping his cock and pulling him deeper. They were each groaning aloud for different reasons and Jensen took that as a signal to set a punishing rhythm. It wasn’t like he was dealing with a little virgin here. Hard and fast almost brutally Jensen pounded into Jared. He gripped Jared hips harder when Jared’s arms gave out and he couldn’t hold himself up and he collapsed onto the bed, ass still in the air. Faster and harder Jensen pushed into Jared and with a scream he spilled his seed into Jared. 

With a grunt Jensen pulled out gave a little kiss to the nape of Jared’s neck then turned around and went to sleep.

Jared was still with his dream king but something was horribly wrong. He had knelt during the meal next to his Jensen. He had been fed by his dream king and then he had taken Jared to his sky bed made out of midnight clouds. They had kissed, Jared had kissed his dream king’s groin and then everything had gone… wrong. After making love with his friends he had always felt good, happy and contented. But something was wrong here. Jared had wanted to play with the dream king but his dream king didn’t play. He had taken from Jared what he had wanted and hadn’t cared what Jared needed. 

Suddenly there was movement by the door and Lord Elo and Rob entered the chamber.

“Get out!” Rob quietly ordered “Slaves don’t sleep by the King.”

Jared looked at Lord Elo and he had drawn a long dagger and motioned for Jared to move. Obviously they knew exactly how long their drug worked. Carefully because his ass and throat were so sore, Jared climbed hesitantly out of the bed. He felt tired and dizzy and slightly sick like he had drunk too much cherry wine. 

“He’s coming out of it. We need to hurry,” Elo whispered. 

Jared began to remember his capture and drinking with Lord Elo and his preparation in the harem and the dinner and the… sex. 

Slowly like crawling through mud, Jared came out of his drugged dream. 

Elo and Rob each grabbed an arm and dragged Jared out of the King’s room. Jared tried to get his feet under him but his legs wouldn’t follow his command. They carried, or better to say, dragged him back to the harem to a plain room and dropped him roughly onto a low bed.

Jared wanted to get up, now that he could think again he wanted to fight his way out. He wanted to get back to his family and to his forest, but again his body failed him as the drug took its toll and sleep pulled him under.

 

*************************

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 5

The next morning brought a bad headache for Jared. It felt like someone was poking his brain with a glowing hot stick. He had only felt this sick twice before, once when as a kid he had eaten rowan berries mistaking them for blue berries and the second time was when he and some friend had drunk too much mead. 

Jared heard a soft knock on the door, as it opened he watched warily as a young girl about twelve or thirteen years of age entered. 

“Hi, my name is Amy; I’m here to help you,” she said with a soft voice. Amy carried a tray to Jared’s bed and set it down gently beside him, “Here is your breakfast and some medicine for your headache.” 

Jared peered at her cautiously, after what Elo had done yesterday he didn’t trust the medicine or food but he was hungry since he hadn’t anything real to eat since yesterday morning. His breakfast consisted of eggs, bread and some fruit and wasn’t so different from what he was used to having at home. 

Amy had sat down across from Jared on the floor. After Amy had looked Jared up and down and had decided he was harmless she had started to tell him all about the palace gossip, which was important, because he (Jared) was playing a major part in it now. 

“They say the King was very pleased with you, and that maybe he’ll make you his favorite. That would be great because then you would get a bigger and nicer room. I like your cuffs they look cool not like slave cuffs more like the things a warrior would wear. Lord Elo and Overseer Rob want to talk to you once you’re done. You’re supposed to clean yourself first though. You can take a bath. I can show you the way to the bath house for the harem and then…”

“Are you a slave?” Jared cut in. 

“Me? No. I’m a servant. My family brought me here so I can earn my keep. I’m free to leave but where should I go? And the palace is a good place to work and maybe I’ll catch the eyes of a noble man someday…” She laughs at him.

Jared smiled. Amy reminded him of his youngest sister, Kim, day dreaming about Prince Charming and talking non-stop.

After he finished his breakfast Amy led him to the bath house. Jared remembered that he had been here before. They had bathed him here yesterday before they had presented him to the King. 

Jared really didn’t want to think about what had happened in the King’s chambers. It made Jared feel dirty. Of course he knew what had happened. The drug they had given him had taken away his ability to say “no” to anything and made him very horny, but it erased neither the memory of what he had done nor what had been done to him. No, he really didn’t want to think about it. It made him want to punch something. When he got ready to dress the only piece of clothing he found was a new loin cloth. No, they couldn’t be seriously expecting him to walk around in that “almost nothing” … but if he didn’t want to go naked he didn’t have a choice. 

After Jared had finished dressing Amy brought Jared back to the main area of the harem. Jared tried to remember the route they had taken. He needed some kind of map of this place in his head to get out of here, because he had no intention of staying here any longer than was necessary.

The wooden doors that were the main entrance to the harem led to the main area and beyond that could be seen a part of the garden. The Centrum of the harem was a great garden area with fountains, love pavilions and a lot of big soft cushions. Around the garden’s outer border was a kind of cloister, which circled to both the left and right and led around the garden, and beneath its canopy were many, many doors to different kinds of quarters. 

Amy knocked on one of the doors close to the entrance and then stepped to the side. 

“Go in. They are waiting for you,” Amy nodded to Jared to enter. 

“I’ll wait here,” she whispered with a comforting small smile. 

The room Jared entered was some kind of office. Rob was sitting at a desk and across from him sat Elo. 

They kept talking to each other as if Jared hadn’t entered the room. 

“He wants him later today...again,” Elo said.

“But he still isn’t trained…,” Rob protested. 

“If I understood the King correctly, most of the pleasure slaves in the palace could learn something from Jared. I wonder what makes you so special.” Elo mused as his eyes finally met Jared’s. 

Jared tried not to squirm but it was hard not to under the gaze of those piercing blue eyes. 

Rob cleared his throat breaking the spell Jared had fallen under. “Your duties are simple, slave. You are always expected to prepare yourself for the King even immediately after you are returned to the harem. That includes: taking a bath, cleaning yourself inside and out, lubing your opening and using a plug to keep yourself accessible and available for King Jensen’s wishes at all times.”

“Do you understand what your duties are, boy?” Elo asked as he joined Rob’s explanation.

Jared couldn’t believe he’d heard right. He was the son of the chieftain of the Forest people, not some kind of toy for the King’s whims. His eyes flicked over the room’s layout quickly, Jared was about to lash out or make a dive for the window when Elo suddenly stood up. He wrapped his strong arms around Jared in a show of false affection and walked with him to the door. He opened it and they both saw Amy standing by one of the fountains and feeding the gold fish. 

“You have met Amy?” the King’s guard asked in a seemingly friendly manner.

“Yes… this morning.” Jared answered.

“Do you like her?”

“She’s a nice girl.”

Suddenly Elo’s voice became a low, threatening growl, “Listen, Forest boy, I will kill the girl if you try anything funny like making a run back to those trees you call ‘home’. You stay here like a good boy … she is safe. You run… she is dead. Simple as that.”

Jared looked at Elo with utter horror and distaste. Threatening to kill an innocent child? Did the man have no honor? He swallowed thickly, “Why should I care?”

“Because…you do. We caught you on a rescue mission, your tribal elders had sent you because they know you care,” Elo stated, his arm still around Jared as he turned him back around and they entered the room once more.

His hands splayed firmly across the boy’s chest, the King’s friend shoved the younger man roughly up against a wall. With a threatening glare, he snarled, “Now… Did you understand what Rob told you to do?” 

With a defeated sigh Jared nodded mutely. 

“Good boy. You can go now.” Elo said.

As if in a trance Jared left the room. They had blackmailed him into becoming a toy for the King. He knew he couldn’t run away now, he couldn’t endanger Amy. 

When Amy brought him back to his room there were a plug and some lubricant sitting by his bed.

Jared didn’t know what to do, for him making love or as they had called it “playing with his friends” had always been …. natural, fun, joyful and fulfilling. To give and to take had always been in balance. Here in the palace they only took. They didn’t ask for it, they just took… his people as slaves, their trees for sale. They took something pure and natural and then twisted it into something ugly and tarnished and for the first time in his life Jared felt used, dirty and ugly too.

 

**********************

 

Elo felt ashamed of himself. He hated what he had done to Jared yesterday and even more what he had been forced to do today. As an observant warrior Elo had seen the look in the slave’s eyes the moment the boy had decided to fight. It was his job to make sure Jared stayed where he was and he didn’t have enough men to guard the boy all the time. He just hoped Jared would learn to accept his new place soon, not only for himself but also for his own peace of mind.

 

*************************

 

 

 

 

Chapter 6

After Elo had left, Rob had thought about the exchange between Elo and Jared. He knew a problem when he saw one and this Jared was a problem. He had been a warrior and fighter and without some help he would never become a good whore… ummm sorry… harem boy. Elo’s job was to make sure that Jared stayed but Rob’s job was to give Jared the appearance that he was willing to please the king. 

There was a knock on the door and before Rob could answer, the door opened and Luxor entered. He had an unpleasant smile on his face. As the royal slave handler it was the bald man’s job to punish the royal slaves and for Rob’s taste the other man enjoyed that part of the job way too much. 

It was only normal that Rob, as the overseer of the harem, and Luxor, as the royal slave handler, had their paths and duties at times intertwined.

Without being told he took the seat Lord Elo had occupied not to long ago and said: “Last night I was called to Lord Gunnar. He was very pleased that the new slave captured the attention of King Jensen. With the Arroka negotiations starting tomorrow this Jared could be a good … distraction after a hard day with Ambassador Boris. So Lord Gunnar asked me,” here Luxor made a pause and looked Rob directly in the eyes “to make sure the new boy is a willing partner for our beloved King Jensen. So tell me is there a way we can make certain, that the Forest boy is content to perform his duties?”

“Funny that you should ask that question... I was just about to ask you for some cuori.” Rob admitted.

Luxor nodded like he had expected something like this.

“Cuori will do the job but it has some serious side effects. We should work on the dosage because we know King Jensen doesn’t like them drugged,” Luxor reminded Rob.

“But it would work for now? For let’s say…five or six weeks? As long as the negotiations are going on…?” Rob wondered out loud.

Luxor nodded, “Then we only have to find a way to drug the boy without his knowledge and Lord Gunnar will be very grateful for our help. I don’t have to mention that this better stay just between us, do I?”

 

************************

 

Jensen had awakened this morning and been surprised to find Jared gone. Not that any other harem boy or girl had ever stayed the night but Jared he missed somehow. After the wonderful time last night he couldn’t wait to have Jared again, to figure out what had been cuori and what was the real Jared. He had never felt this way before, normally he never cared that the harem toy was gone by the morning or had a second thought about how they might behave without cuori. But somehow he felt different about Jared, maybe it was because Jensen himself had been the one to discover him. Jensen felt himself harden when he remembered the way Jared’s warm lips had been wrapped around his cock. Maybe he just missed Jared’s special skills? 

“Good morning, your Majesty,” Kent greeted him, “Your uncle sent a message that you would be excused from the negotiations with the Arrokadian delegation if you had other plans for the day,” he murmured setting down Jensen’s breakfast tray.

“Great! I want to go for a ride…. Wait no! Send for Jared instead. And, Kent…? Tell Rob no cuori this time.” 

A short time later ‘his’ Jared was standing before him again. 

“Good morning, Jared. Why did you leave? I missed you this morning,” Jensen greeted Jared. 

“A slave doesn’t sleep in a king’s bed.” Jared answered simply remembering what Elo had said last night. He felt strange again after the tea Amy had offered him. Not like last night when he felt like he had been drifting through a dream. This felt more like if he really, really, really could concentrate he might be able to snap out of this hazy, distorted daydream. Jared knew he was under the influence of the drug once more but the knowledge didn’t help him to pull himself out.

“Well… lucky for you I don’t want to sleep now.” Jensen said, he leaned against the wall and pulled Jared closer. “I really liked what you did last night,” he continued as his hands on Jared’s shoulders pushed Jared gently to his knees. Jared knew what the king expected him to do. He untied the man’s breeches and pulled Jensen’s member out. Jensen’s cock got hard in Jared’s hand, as he kissed the tip. Jared licked around the tip and wrapped his lips around the King’s cock. He bobbed his head back and forth and Jensen was caught up in a state of bliss as his wonderful boy had gone down on his knees without an order. Jared hollowed his cheeks and swallowed Jensen down. His throat constricted around Jensen’s cock and pulled an orgasm from him. Jensen was surprised by the power and force of his orgasm and he nearly collapsed next to Jared but the wall kept him upright. While Jensen tried to catch his breath Jared licked him clean and put his member back in the breeches.

 

*********************

 

In a large meeting room in another wing of the palace, Cas sat anxiously awaiting the appearance of King Jensen. The meeting with the ambassador had started one hour ago. Cas was sure he had impressed upon Jensen how important the treaty with Arroka was and how much depended on it. Without Jensen’s royal presence Gunnar was leading the negotiations for Stone Statt, but Cas was sure that Jensen wouldn’t like certain passages and provisions the Arrokadians were pressing upon them. Stone Statt had never been a realm where slavery was a money-making trade like in other parts of their world. Arroka had a long history of slavery which had led in the past to a lot of conflicts between the two countries. Stone Statt and Girian had never allowed slavery as an actual trade commodity. Even enslavement as a punishment was a fairly new concept and only seen as an alternative to a death sentence. But now Arroka was pressing for actual slave-trading contracts and Jensen wasn’t there to fight for what was good and right. Cas could not believe the King could so easily turn his back on something so important. Trading in human flesh would change their entire kingdom and negatively impact so many of their subjects lives forever. 

 

********************

 

Several weeks went by like that with Cas growing ever more displeased and disenchanted with his old friend’s ability to rule as a king should. 

Jensen, on the other hand, was feeling more content than he had been in a long, long time. Of course for a few moments each day he was forced to listen to Cas complaining that Jensen never showed up for the meetings with the Arrokadians and then Elo pointing out day after day how dangerous it was allowing so many heavily armed foreign warriors inside the royal walls of Stone Statt. Jensen knew he should be paying more attention but Gunnar kept assuring him that all was fine.

Basically he was spending all his time fucking Jared in every possible way and in almost every location they had. Two weeks ago for example, Jensen had shown Jared around the stables he had wanted to introduce Jared to Shefy his stallion. Well, they made it to the stables but when Jared had leaned forward to pet a filly and the loin cloth had slipped and shown his bare ass-cheeks with the rhinestone plug sitting in between. Jensen had ordered everybody out and fucked Jared in the stables bent over some hay bales. 

Last week they finally made it out of Stone Statt but the ride hadn’t been as enjoyable as he had expected it to be. First Elo had followed them around and didn’t want to give them any privacy to fuck and then there was Jared’s discomfort at being on the horse while wearing a butt plug …. Suffice to say the slave came very hard when they finally fucked after they returned to the palace.

Jensen didn’t understand exactly what he felt, but he liked it. Maybe it was because everything was fine for the first time in a long, long time. 

 

**********************

 

“You really like him, don’t you?” Elo asked him.

He and Jensen were in the harem, watching Jared taking a bath in the fountain right in front of them. It was a very hot day and Jared had asked him if Jensen would mind if he took a bath and since it was definitely too hot to fuck right now and they had already twice today, watching a naked, wet, bathing Jared was a good idea in Jensen’s book.   
At Elo´s question Jensen looked surprised it hadn’t crossed his mind that “feeling happy” had anything to do with Jared, a slave.

“He completed the collection,” he answered irritated.

“Yes. And that is why you can’t stop smiling whenever you see him, because now your toy collection is complete,” Elo said with a smile “Except you don’t look at your collection you only have eyes for your Jared.”

Now Jensen had had enough he was the King and to have deeper feelings for … for…. a Slave…. No, he was just content because everything was running so smoothly. It had nothing to do with a certain young man with long brown hair and a big smile and dimples and a body that wanted to be loved and …. No! He had no deeper feelings for Jared. No, that couldn’t be. 

“Lord Elo, I think Lord Cas needs your help.” Jensen told Elo coolly in dismissal. He had no intention to speak or even think about the subject any further. 

Jensen smiled as a very wet and very naked Jared started to dry himself.

 

*******************

 

Elo knocked on the door to Lord Cas’ rooms. 

“I’m here...” he heard a voice behind him as Cas came hurrying along the corridor

“You look awful.” Elo said as a greeting to his friend. They hadn’t seen each other that much over the past several of weeks. Cas had been busy in the negotiations and Elo had been required to accompany Jared and Jensen whenever they had left the private rooms or the harem. 

“Thank you. Come… walk back with me, we only have a short break.” Cas said as they started to walk down the corridor again. 

“What gives me the pleasure of your company?” Cas asked after they had walked a bit. 

“Our friend, King Jensen, sent me away because I had to point out that he might be in love,” Elo said ducking his head.

“What! Who? Let me guess – Jared, right? And you had to tell him? Idiot! It would have been better if he would have figured it out by himself.” Hopefully nothing bad will come out of it, Cas added in his head. Cas shook his head a bit sadly, he was happy for his friend but he would have preferred if Jensen would have joined the meetings. 

Unseen by Cas and Elo, Ambassador Boris had been hiding behind a pillar. With an evil gleam in his eyes he turned around. This would be two for the price of one. He would get to fuck that royal toy and Gunnar could prove his influence over the king. 

 

***************

 

What was real, what was a dream? He didn’t know for sure anymore. Sometimes he thought, when he was thinking about being drugged that he was sober, only to find he was oiled, lubed and plugged for Jensen with no recollection of how he’d gotten that way. 

Jared was sure they drugged his water or food daily and that they kept changing the ways they drugged him. He had tried not to eat for several days because he was sure the poison was in his food, only to find himself floating again in the drug-induced haze his life had become.

The effects of the drug were the highest while he was prepared and brought to the king and would lower when he was with Jensen, almost to the point where he felt awake and clear-minded. This led strangely to Jared looking forward to being with Jensen if only for his moments of clarity that came with it. 

Jared had expected to find a king busy with running his country but it seemed that Jensen had delegated most (or all) of his duties and all he cared about was Jared. They fucked like bunnies and if Jensen remembered from time to time he made sure Jared also got his pleasure and satisfaction out of their encounter. But more often than not Jensen forgot about Jared in the heat of their fucking. 

To the palace Jared was King Jensen’s toy, the savage of the First Forest.

Today had been particularly hot, and after Jared’s bath in the fountain Jensen had acted a little strange and had ordered Jared rather harshly to his bed. It wasn’t like Jensen was brutal; his love making was more selfish than anything else. Jared himself was indifferent about having sex with Jensen. Jensen could be quite skilled as a lover but he didn’t care about his partner and since Jared couldn’t avoid sleeping with Jensen, he just tried to get over it and sometimes managed to enjoy it. 

It had been a long day and after the third love-making session the influence of the drug had vanished. Jensen was sleeping on the bed and Jared had been lying next to him for quite a while but it was boring. So Jared had slipped out of bed and looked around the room to make sure he was alone and Kent was nowhere to be seen.

Jared went to the book shelves. He had started reading books from Jensen’s library some while ago and so far no one had ever caught him. Jared wasn’t sure he was allowed to read, there were no books in the harem. He had read several books even one about court protocol and the standing of the members of the harem and he knew as the favorite of the king he was quite safe but that could all change on a whim if he was no longer Jensen’s new toy. Or that the King had three different wedding vows to choose from: one for common harem slaves with the promise to love, another one for higher ranking or most political weddings with the promise to love and cherish, and still a third version, one very seldom used, for the marriage of equals with the promise to love, cherish and respect. It seemed odd that the Stone People needed to make so many differences. 

After a slight hesitation he pulled a book out and started reading. It was one of Jared’s favorite books about a good leader’s attributes, the skills needed to successfully lead a country and the “art” of war. Jensen’s edition was a bit more detailed and someone had made some notations along the margins. Jared wondered if the secret notations were Jensen’s. Soon Jared found himself lost in the book after just the first few pages. He had been so involved that he hadn’t noticed the King and Kent standing behind him, one man smiling, the other with a look of distrust.

“Oh, Jared,” Jensen had said still smiling, “that is my library and these are very valuable books. You wouldn’t understand what is written in them, even if you could read.” 

Jared was about to tell Jensen that not only he understood the book but in fact he had read it already but a look in Kent’s face cut him off. One of the rules in wartime survival was never to let the enemy know how strong you are. 

Jared would have liked to discuss certain parts of the book with Jensen but then Kent began telling Jensen about some other random affairs needing his attention and Jared was summarily sent back to the harem. Jared wanted to stay with Jensen, knowing that as long as he was with Jensen he wouldn’t be drugged again but he wasn’t given a choice.

Between the harem and Jensen’s private rooms Jared was allowed to walk without a guard. Having traversed that way often enough in the last several weeks he was surprised to be called to for the first time. A group around Ambassador Boris was walking towards him.

“Hey slave! Show us the way to the harem. Lord Gunnar invited us to celebrate and for a little distraction.” With a slight bow of his head Jared motioned for them to follow him.

“I would love to have a piece of that ass,” one man in the group sneered in Arrokadian. 

“Get in line...” Ambassador Boris growled back also in the Arroka tongue, “As I understand he is untouchable, till he is given to you by the King himself.” 

“Gunnar or the king?” the same man asked again.

“If it was up to Gunnar that boy would have been passed around. But the royal harem is no brothel. You need to be of royal blood, inner royal court or have an invitation and still even then not all the harem beauties are yours to fuck and use. The favorites are off limits and this boy is the King’s favorite. But I’m working on it.”

“What is your plan, Boris?” another member of the group asked.

Jared had listened with growing interest. He spoke the Arroka language fluently but it was seldom that someone took the task to learn such a difficult language, most people who dealt with Arrokadians needed an interpreter and many Arrokadians spoke the language of the First People. He took a different turn so the way would be a little bit longer and he could hopefully learn what Boris had planned.

“Lord Gunnar will prove his influence over the King. He said he will make the King give me his Forest boy for a whole night. For that we, and our troops within the city, will help Gunnar to overthrow King Jensen and he will crown himself as the new king of Stone Statt.” Boris said and whole group gasped at the news. Jared needed all his will to keep his face calm and indifferent. 

“The next step would be the invasion of Girian. Without the help from Stone Statt it should be no problem to conquer that realm.” Boris continued; he had a mean almost manic gleam in his eyes.

“What about the Forest people?” The first man dared to ask. 

“A handful of screaming, wild savages is no problem for our army. And then I will be King of Girian and you all will rise above your wildest dreams. I think this plan calls for a celebration in a royal harem.” The others cheered at him and called to Jared to hurry up.

Jared was busy thinking about what he had heard, what should he do? What could he do? In the confusion of a revolution it was surely possible to escape back into the forest. But that meant leaving Stone Statt to Gunnar, not to mention the planned invasion of Girian. 

Jared had been to Girian a couple of times. It was a beautiful, peaceful country with gentle people and even if they didn’t shared the same roots as the Stone and Forest people Jared had always felt close to them.

To plan a war against them almost felt like they were planning one against his people. Hmm, Jared mused because it looked like he already made a choice. 

He didn’t want to be given to Boris as a fuck toy. Jared wasn’t sure if Jensen was a good king, hell, he wasn’t even sure he was a nice person but he was a hundred times better than Gunnar and a thousand times better than Boris. 

A handful of savages, huh? Jared smiled grimly to himself. They reached the doors to the harem and with a deep bow Jared excused himself. He all but ran to his room.

 

*******************************

 

 

 

 

Chapter 7

 

“My king, a word please...?” Cas called from behind Jensen. Jensen slowed down, turned and smiled at his friend.

“My friend, I was on my way to… never mind, what can I do for you?” he asked.

Glancing about to be sure they were alone, Cas leaned in closer and spoke seriously, “Can I speak openly?” On a nod from Jensen he continued, “Jensen, I really need your help. I know you trust your uncle, it’s just …. The Arrokadians they want … I know how you feel about it.”

Jensen didn’t understood what Cas was talking about, but he had an idea: “Did you talk to Elo? It’s ridiculous to think… that I could… he’s a slave, he’s just a good fuck! Nothing more! I don’t care more about him than any other slave!” Jensen was starting to get agitated.

“No, that’s not what I was talking about…” Cas tried again, but this time he was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Lord Gunnar. 

“My King, Lord Cas! I couldn’t avoid hearing a part of your conversation. My Lord Cas, how could you suggest his majesty has feelings for a common harem boy? And worse he is a convict!”

“No, I wanted to ask King Jensen, if he would consider joining the negotiation with Arroka.” Cas tried again. He pleaded with Jensen with his eyes to not let him down, to understand him. But Jensen was too far gone in his anger; he didn’t listen or watch Cas as he tried to handle his feelings.

“And why is that, Lord Cas? The negotiations are running smoothly. Why exactly do you need King Jensen? To hold your hand?” Gunnar asked sarcastically. The last thing he wanted was Jensen joining the negotiation with Arroka. It was hard enough to keep an eye on Cas during the meetings, to keep him busy and occupied with other stuff. But Cas wasn’t an idiot and he knew something was going on, he only didn’t know exactly what. 

“Lord Cas, if you could excuse us I need to talk to my nephew.” With that Lord Gunnar sent Cas away. Cas was furious, but there was nothing he could do unless the King told him to stay. He looked at his friend, but Jensen looked a bit mad at him. Cas could only hope that Jensen would be careful.

“Jensen, I need a little favor, but it shouldn’t be a problem since you just said that you don’t care about that boy. Ambassador Boris asked for a night with your Forest boy, in exchange for granting Stone Statt a monopoly for trading certain livestock.” 

Jensen could only gape at his uncle; did he just ask him to sell Jared off for some Trading privilege? And much more importantly he didn’t want to share Jared. Jared was his. The thought of someone touching Jared made him almost physically ill. 

On the other hand he couldn’t keep Jared to himself, not without announcing to the palace that he was in love with a common savage barely out of the forest and convicted of attacking Stone Statt people. What should he do? What could he do?

“Wait… no...” he heard his uncle say and was reminded that he was still waiting for an answer. Gunnar wore a nasty smile as he said, “Cas was right you care for your little fuck toy.” 

“No! I don’t.” Jensen hurried to say. “He can have him tonight.” That would prove once and for all, that he didn’t care about that boy. He wasn’t in love with him. That should make everybody shut up.

 

********************

 

Jared had taken his required bath but hadn’t prepared himself any further. Jared knew that with his next small meal he would be drugged again. But maybe, just maybe if he could report to Lord Elo or Lord Cas and maybe they would believe him then maybe Jared could avoid being Ambassador Boris’s fuck toy. It wasn’t like he trusted those two, he sure as hell didn’t trust Elo after being drugged by him the first time, but he knew they were Jensen’s friends and it was likely they would believe him.

From Jensen he didn’t expect any help at all, he wasn’t even sure if Jensen was capable of deeper feelings for anything or anyone. Jared was about to leave his room to search for Lord Cas or Elo, when the door opened and Boris and two of the Arrokadian guards entered.

“Ah…. Here is where you are hiding. You are mine tonight, slave, so follow me.” The two guards grabbed Jared by his arms and dragged him out as he tried to pull free.

“Yes, my little boy, struggle all you want. I love when they put up a fight.”

Jared stopped he didn’t want to give Boris the satisfaction.

“My lord,” Rob tried to intercept their little group. “No need for a guard, give us a moment and Jared will be brought to you.” Ambassador Boris really seemed to consider Rob’s offer but after a few moments he said: “No, I wish to take him like he is. I like to prep them myself and I don’t want you to drug him. No… thank you, but I will take him like he is.” 

They hurried to the guest quarters. Jared was scared, Boris had ogled at him from the first day on, but being the King’s favorite had given Jared a false sense of security. On their way they even passed by Lord Elo but Jared could only throw him one look because Elo avoided looking at him. Jared had no chance to let Elo know what he had learned earlier because the next thing he knew he was being dumped on the floor in Boris’s room.

“Leave us alone.” Boris told his guards. “Guard the door. You know, Jared,” Boris continued as soon as they were left alone, “I didn’t expect to be able to use these on this visit…” Boris showed Jared a table, where a large collection of whips, floggers, paddles and even a cat-o-nine tails were laid out. 

“These will come in handy,” he said pointing to Jared’s cuffs. Jared dared to look around the room. It wasn’t as big as the King’s room but was very luxurious. The bed was surrounded by seven large pillars, but what disturbed Jared were the four chains between two of the pillars.

When Boris saw Jared’s eyes widen, the man grinned malevolently. “Ah I see you figured out where our night will start. Stand over here.” Jared didn’t have much of a choice, he stood between the two pillars and Boris bound his hands and legs. The chains were short so they held Jared spread-eagled between the pillars with only a little slack for movement. Boris stepped closer to Jared holding up a knife. Jared didn’t flinch away but his heart start beating faster.

“This would be more fun if you actually wore more than just this piece of leather.” Boris traced the tip of the knife down Jared’s bare chest. His oiled skin mirrored itself in the sharp blade. When Boris reached Jared’s navel he let the blade slip in. The sharp pain let Jared know he was cut for the first time. 

He had never experienced anything like this. He had heard the other harem slaves whisper about men that gathered sexual satisfaction out of the pain they inflicted on others but never expected to be the victim of it.

“What a shame I can’t mark you like I wish. The body of a slave needs the marks of its Master.”

The knife cut through the loin cloth and then Jared was naked in front of Boris. Jared had never felt ashamed of himself or his nakedness before, but this was different, the reason why he was naked was different and he shivered under Boris lusting gaze. Boris let his gaze drift down Jared’s body, golden miles and miles of flawless skin. All of it belonging to him tonight. 

He couldn’t hold on any longer and he trailed the wickedly sharp knifepoint downward, painting a long winding red path from Jared’s left shoulder between his nipples down to his right thigh. Jared watched in horror as this monster cut him. The pain kicked in a moment later. Boris just took a step back and admired his work smiling. Then he stepped close to Jared and he licked the blood away.

“You taste sweet, boy,” he murmured.

Then he turned to the table and picked up a flogger just like with the knife he trailed it across Jared’s torso. He landed a hard blow directly across Jared’s nipples before he circled around Jared and kept on delivering blow after blow. Soon enough he’d gotten past Jared’s initial silent resistance. 

As the whipping continued, Boris was treated to a regular rhythm of grunts and moans that were pleasingly familiar to him. The way the Forest boy kept thrashing in his bindings trying to avoid the next blow had him hard in no time.

“Please, please… stop. No more, please stop.” Jared started pleading after the first dozen strokes hit his chest, sides and back. The worst was his chest where Boris had cut him before the flogging. His blood was now painted all over him. 

“You look good covered in blood like the defiled savage that you are.” 

Boris exchanged the flogger for the cat-o-nine tails. Soon enough Jared was screaming in agony. After two especially hard blows where the nine tails wrapped themselves around Jared, he suddenly went slack in the bindings. Boris was breathing hard, whipping or flogging a slave was hard work. Jared had passed out, Boris unfastened his breeches grabbed his hard member and started stroking it hard and fast. With a loud groan he came all over Jared’s body, adding his semen to the blood. 

It was quite a task to move the unconscious man from between the pillars to the bed. Boris tied Jared’s arms to the head board. He let his gaze drift down Jared’s body, his fingers tracing the bloody welts and cuts his brutal whipping had painted on the boy’s body. Jared lay on his stomach so Boris could spread his palms wide over Jared’s ass, pushing the round globes apart to reveal the pink opening. He couldn’t stop himself form stroking the pad of his thumb over the puckered flesh, smiling when the rest of the body shivered at the slight touch. Slowly Jared regained consciousness and Boris was glad for it, as the next part was always more fun when the slave was awake.

He gathered some blood and drying come on his fingers and pushed the mess into Jared. A sharp cry rang out and he felt muscles clamp down hard on his finger.

“How can you still be so tight when Jensen fucks you around the clock?” Boris asked.

Jared stayed silent after his pleas had fallen on deaf ears he was sure Boris didn’t expect an answer from him. He only whimpered when Boris added a second finger. With only blood and semen as lube, the penetration hurt Jared in a way he had never been hurt before. He felt himself tearing and the fresh blood made it perversely easier for Boris to push his fingers roughly in and out of Jared. Boris grabbed his cock and stroked it to hardness again. He lined himself up with Jared’s opening and viciously pushed all the way in. Jared screamed. This was worse than the first time with King Jensen. No cuori was clouding his senses. Boris did this to cause pain and to satisfy his own twisted needs. Jared didn’t know how long Boris shoved into him it seemed to be an eternity to Jared. Finally Boris came inside him, biting down viciously on Jared’s shoulder in the process. 

Jared’s torture went on and on throughout the long night. Boris flogged him again; he used his paddle, fucked Jared’s ass and mouth. Sometimes he passed out during his torture but Boris always made sure he was conscious again before he started a “new game” as he called it. After a while Jared wasn’t sure if it was only Boris or if some other members of the Arrokadian group had joined in raping and torturing him. He didn’t care he just wanted this to end maybe they would kill him and all of this come to an end.

 

***********************************

 

 

Chapter 8

There was a knock on the harem doors just before dawn. In the early morning hours it happened often that a boy or girl returned to the harem. As the overseer it was Rob’s duty to know where the harem slaves were. Lord Cas, Lord Elo and Lord Ruf had their favorites with them. But the one he was desperately waiting for was the Forest boy, Jared. Rob had found out he had left unprepared, which wasn’t only impolite, it was rather dumb. He hoped the ambassador hadn’t minded the lack of preparation. But a bigger concern now and more importantly, was the fact His Majesty had ordered that he be informed as soon as Jared was returned. So when Rob opened the door he hadn’t expected to find anything wrong. 

At first he thought someone had played a prank on him, he only saw a pile of bloody bed clothes but then the pile moved and groaned and as Rob reached out to help, the pile collapsed even more onto itself revealing the bloody beaten face of Jared. 

“Help, help ….I need help.” Rob screamed over his shoulder. 

 

*****************

 

Jensen had had an uneasy night, it had taken hours to find sleep and his dreams had been bloody, violent and downright frightening. Jensen blamed Jared; if he had been there he would have slept like a baby. So he was very impatient when he made his way to the harem. Why hadn’t Rob sent the boy right away upon his return from the Ambassador? Jensen knocked on the doors and a guard opened them for him.

“Where is Jared?” he asked when he didn’t see Jared waiting for him. 

The Guard looked around uncomfortably like he would spot Jared somewhere. “He is in his room, your Majesty,” he finally said.

“Why? I left orders for him to come to me, first thing this morning. Rob knew this.”

“Overseer Rob is with him. This way… please.” The guard led Jensen to Jared’s room. There were some people running around and suddenly Jensen had a very bad feeling.

“Jared?” he called out, but instead of Jared Rob appeared in front of him. His hands and tunic were bloody. 

“Where is Jared?” Jensen asked.

“My king, we don’t know what exactly happened to him, I found…”

Jensen didn’t wait for more, with a shove he forced Rob out of his way and went into Jared’s room. First he was surprised to see how plain Jared’s room was, but when he discovered the condition of his boy on the bed and any thought about furniture left his mind. 

His Forest beauty was a bloody mess. One of his eyes was swollen shut. His lower lip was bitten bloody and his cheeks were cut and swollen. His naked body showed cuts, welts and whip marks. Two women were gently cleansing his wounds.

“What happened to him?” Jensen demanded as he spun on a now fearful Rob.

“As I already said, we don’t know for sure. He left last night with Ambassador Boris and I found him this morning in front of the doors in a bloody bundle of bedding, your Highness.” Rob said carefully. He didn’t want to point a finger at the ambassador but to him it was obvious what had happened to the poor boy and the King hadn’t even been informed of the internal wounds yet.

“Will it scar?” Jensen asked looking down upon the young man on the bed.

“Some of them might, it will…” But Jensen didn’t hear him anymore he had left Jared’s room and the harem.

 

*****************

 

Jared was floating in a sea of pain and agony. He hadn’t known that people could be so evil. In his dreams he whimpered under the whipping and during the day he was left all alone and only the women tending to his wounds and Amy were his company. The first time Jared saw his face in a mirror and looked down at his body he had cried, but after the swelling began to go away and the bruises began to fade he started to feel more like his old self again. 

He was still left alone and no one sent for him. After ten days in his room Jared had had enough and he went out into the garden. As a royal harem boy he wasn’t allowed outside the harem unless he was guarded or someone had sent for him, so if he wanted to get back in shape he had to do it here. Jared hated to feel worthless, helpless and afraid and he was about to do something to change that. He started slowly with running laps around in the garden and carefully stretching his abused skin and muscles. The women still came to him everyday to rub his skin with healing oil and massage his aching muscles. It was two weeks after he was found in front of the doors when Jared knocked on Rob’s door. He didn’t know if he is overstepping some rules but asking wouldn’t hurt. 

“What is it, Jared?” Rob asked.

“I would like to practice with a bow and arrow.” Jared said. If Rob was surprised he didn’t show it, except for a raised eyebrow. 

“I’ll ask Lord Elo and let you know.” With a short nod Jared turned and left the room to run some more laps.

 

*****************

 

Elo knew Jensen was his king and as such he vowed to respect, follow and god knows what, but right now he just wanted to punch some sense into him. The whole palace knew that the King’s favorite was brutally raped by the Arrokadian Ambassador, but somehow Gunnar made Jensen actually BELIEVE the official version that Jared was robbed and beaten on his way back to the harem. Elo hadn’t seen Jared since the day of the incident when he had visited the harem and had been shocked to see Jared bloody, beaten and unconscious. Elo could understand that Jensen had been shocked to see Jared like that, but enough was enough. 

Today Rob had requested a bow and arrow for Jared and Elo was inclined to grant the request. He had wronged the boy enough; if he could repay him just a little he would do what he could. Elo grabbed some arrows, a bow and a target and made his way to the harem. He saw Jared right away; he was sweating in the sun, doing some complicated moves with a makeshift sword. Jared was again dressed just in a loin cloth, his hair was tied back, and his movements were graceful, strong and precise. Elo was reminded that Jared had been a warrior and hunter and not just some pretty face. Elo cleared his throat and Jared stopped his movements right away because it wasn’t safe to pretend to be fighting in the face of the head of the royal guard. With a tight-lipped smile Elo handed Jared the bow and the arrows. He was about to explain to Jared how to use the target but Jared already had strung the bow, nocked an arrow and shot into the air high above. Elo wondered at what until a black raven plummeted out of the sky and landed next to him.

“I know how to handle a bow and arrows. Thank you, Lord Elo.” Jared said shortly, he looked like he wanted to add something but closed his mouth instead. 

“Maybe you would like to practice with me.” Elo asked. That shot had been master class. Of the royal guard there were maybe only one or two who could have shot the bird from that distance, that fast, but none of them with an unfamiliar bow they held for the very first time.

“Yes, maybe tomorrow?” Jared answered.

 

**********************

 

Elo needed to talk to Jensen right now. If Jensen had lost his interest in Jared … well for a warrior like this, there was always a place in the royal guards. Elo found Jensen in his rooms with the curtains drawn and a fresh bottle of whiskey at hand.

“What’s wrong with you?” he asked the smell of alcohol was strong around Jensen. “Jared is dealing better than you.” 

“You talked to Jared?” Jensen asked.

“Yes, some minutes ago. He is healing quite well and …”

“Kent! Kent!” Jensen called out. “Send for Jared right away. Lord Elo, we’ll talk later okay?”  
With that he sent Lord Elo away. 

 

*****************

 

He had just wanted to punch something. Seeing Jared’s badly abused body and knowing he couldn’t punish the guilty ones had made his desire to hit something or someone even bigger. Jensen didn’t know how he had passed the last two weeks. Probably riding on Shefy and drinking himself unconscious each night and fucking everybody who looked remotely like Jared.

So when he saw Jared again looking almost whole and still beautiful like nothing so horrible had happened he just snapped. He grabbed his riding crop and started beating Jared. 

“How could you be so stupid? Or did you like it? How could you allow something like that to happen?” His crop came down again and again on Jared. Reopening just healed wounds until Jared just grabbed Jensen’s arm and tore the crop out of Jensen’s grip. Jared looked at Jensen like he had gone mad. He threw the crop out of Jensen’s reach and turned to leave.

“Why don’t you love me… like I love you?” Jensen called after Jared, tears running down his face. 

With his back still to Jensen, Jared answered, “Love requires people to be equal, when have we ever been equal?” and with those words he left. 

On his way back to the harem Jared ran into Lord Elo who obviously had waited for Jared just outside of the King’s chambers. 

“Jared! How did… did the King…” That’s when the saw the red welts on Jared’s arms.   
“What happened? Jared, what happened? I thought that once Jensen saw for himself…”

“King Jensen has a strange way of expressing himself.” Jared said, the welts hurt but he had felt far worse in the last 14 days. He was still shocked that Jensen professed his love and that he had fought back. But most importantly he remembered Ambassador Boris plan. Jared hadn’t really forgotten what he had heard. It was more like he had more and other important things on his mind.

“But more importantly I heard Ambassador Boris talking to the members of his group. And there are things you should know.” 

And then Jared told Lord Elo everything he had heard, about the planned revolution, and Gunnar’s role in it. 

“Jared, have you told anybody else about this?”

“No, I was a bit too ill for the past two weeks or so,” Jared answers dryly. 

“We need to find Lord Cas and King Jensen.” 

“I just left King Jensen in his rooms.” Jared reminded him

“Let’s go and get him.” Lord Elo said, but when they entered the rooms they only found Kent who informed them that King Jensen had been called to an urgent meeting in the crowning hall. As they ran down the corridors to the hall they heard an uproar coming from outside the palace. The revolt had started.

“I need to get to my troops. The royal guard will stay loyal to the King but I need to lead them.” Elo said.

Jared nodded, understanding why they had to split up. Jared kept running toward the crowning hall, the largest room in the entire palace. Jared had learned some short cuts and back ways and now he used this knowledge to enter the royal hall through a servants’ passageway that was covered by the curtain located behind the throne. 

 

***************

 

Jensen didn’t know if he should cry or laugh he had just declared his love to a slave and the slave just walked out on him. Oh god. His head hurt, he shouldn’t have drunk so much.

“My King, your uncle, Lord Gunnar, requests the honor of your presence in the royal crowning hall. He said it is urgent.” Kent said with a deep bow.

Jensen hadn’t seen him enter, had he been here all the time? “Yes… okay,” he said. “Help me into the royal cloak.” Looking a little bit more presentable Jensen then headed to the crowning hall.

 

**************

 

“Jensen thanks for joining us here,” his uncle greeted him with an odd predatorial grin. 

The young King was startled to see that the Great Hall was filled to the brim with the Arrokadians, the members of the Ambassadors group stood with Boris, some traders and a lot of warriors. Jensen asked himself what Elo would say if he saw so many “not royal” guardsmen with weapons inside the palace.

“Lord Gunnar, what’s going on?” He asked his uncle and then all hell broke loose.

 

**************

 

Stealthily concealed behind the curtain, Jared watched in horror as Gunnar pulled a dagger from his belt and dove forward sinking it into the King’s abdomen. Quickly before Gunnar could strike again, Jared grabbed the closest available object, a large silver candlestick, and threw it at Gunnar hitting him right on the side of his head. 

A loud, enraged shout sounded and Jared saw Lord Cas attacking Gunnar.

“Jared! Jared! Get the King out of here!” Cas called to Jared.

Jared had reached Jensen before he hit the ground he wrapped Jensen’s arm over his shoulder and half-dragged, half-carried Jensen behind the curtain and through the hidden doorway. 

Jared blocked the door with a nearby cabinet, which would give them a minute. For a second he thought about Lord Cas and that he had blocked his escape route, but Cas would want to save the King.

An Arrokadian warrior appeared with a bow and arrows at the end of the small corridor and started shooting at them. Jared reached for Jensen’s belt and the dagger he had seen there. A sharp pain in his left arm had Jared gasping as he threw the knife at the man who was now steadily moving toward them. It hit the man in the middle of his chest. With dying eyes he still looked surprised as Jared pulled the knife from his chest and seized the arrows and bow. 

Jared took a moment to assess Jensen’s wound. Jensen was having trouble breathing; a lot of blood was soaking his royal cloak. Jared pulled the cloak from Jensen’s form; it was too flashy a piece of clothing and easily recognizable and would hinder their escape. Jared ripped the shirt off the dead warrior and tore it apart to improvise bandages for Jensen’s stomach and his own arm where he had been hit by the arrow.

Jensen still had a look of utter betrayal on his face as Jared carried him along the corridors. He heard fighting up ahead and as he turned a corner he saw Elo fighting singlehandedly against four Arrokadian warriors. Without thinking Jared carefully lowered Jensen to the floor and grabbed a sword from the hand of a dead soldier Elo had already dispatched. Together he and Elo took the remaining Arrokans out quickly. It felt good to fight again. After Jared had killed the last Arrokadian he turned around and Elo was pointing his sword at Jared’s chest. 

“For whom are you fighting?” He demanded stepping defensively between Jared and Jensen. 

“I want to be free again.” Jared said, because he really wasn’t taking a side here, this truly wasn’t his fight.

“And why are you carrying King Jensen?” Elo asked. 

“His uncle tried to murder him.” was Jared’s only answer and it seemed to be enough for Elo because he nodded. 

“I’ll carry Jensen. I’m out of practice sword fighting; they only let me practice archery.” Jared explained dryly. 

“If you call this out of practice, I want to see you someday in shape. This way...” Elo pointed and the three of them started moving as swiftly as possible down a long corridor. 

They were getting closer to the kitchen. The sounds of smaller battles filtered down from nearly all the areas they passed through. Any moment they might be discovered and they were well aware of it. 

“We have to get to the stables.” Jared said a little out of breath. 

“Why? Where do you want to go?” 

“To the First Forest, Jensen can’t travel to Girian his wound is too serious for a journey that long.” 

“Why Girian? Well… stupid question maybe...” Elo said

“Cas told me to take King Jensen somewhere safe. He stayed behind to make sure we could get out.” Jared explained.

“Lord Cas is not part of this overthrow?” Elo asked. 

“No… off course not, he is Jensen’s friend… and yours.” Jared answered irritated.

Elo nodded, like he was given proof of something he always suspected.

“So he told you the whole plan?” 

“There’s a plan? Let’s move. We can talk later.” Jared said, they were running out of time and as they scrambled through the palace using the servants’ short cuts they ran into a large skirmish between royal guardsmen and Arrokadian warriors. 

Elo turned to join his men in the fight, but Jared gripped his arm, “Meet me in three days time in the First forest where you captured me. There is a little creek near there. Follow that creek into the forest and I will find you.” 

Elo nodded and with the scream “For King Jensen! For Stone Statt!” he threw himself into the fight.

Jared hurried, as fast as he could while carrying an unconscious Jensen, using the confusion of the fight to cover their escape to the stables. Jared used his forest powers to ask the horses which one would bring them as fast as possible to the First Forest and he wasn’t surprised when he found himself and Jensen on the back of the huge black stallion, Shefy. Undetected they left a town in riot and a palace burning at many places. 

 

***************************

 

Chapter 9

Even if Forest People didn’t use horses, thanks to his mother Jared had learned to ride at an early age. But as a child of the First Forest he had always asked the wild horses to carry him. Shefy found the idea very amusing, Jensen was his master and he told him how fast he wanted to go and where he wanted to go. Jared had to smile at how the horse saw itself. 

`You know that you are stronger and faster than man, it should be friendship that binds you and I think it is.´ Jared told him. Shefy didn’t respond anymore but he set his steps carefully so as not to bother his friend, Jensen, any more than absolutely necessary. 

As the sun set they reached the great forest. They had galloped almost the whole time and Shefy had reached the end of his strength. Jared reined the horse in when he neared the First Trees. It was strange for Jared to be back in the forest. It felt like he had been away for years and not only a couple of weeks. Jared had changed but the forest had not. But he still knew his way around and so he led them as fast as the approaching night allowed to his village. Jared would have been much faster on his own but he needed Shefy to carry Jensen so it took them half the night to reach Jared’s home.

 

*********************

 

“Help! Help! We need help down here!” Jared called out when he reached the First Trees. And all of a sudden Jared was surrounded by people he had known his whole life. They helped him to get the still unconscious King down from the horse and up into the safety of the First Trees.

Jensen had a wonderful dream. He was with his Jared and they were both on Shefy and riding beneath the midnight sky. Jared was behind him with his nearly naked body pressing against Jensen’s back. They reached a strange place. Jensen thought they were in a foreign town full of towers but then he saw that the towers were actually trees, trees taller than any he had ever seen before. Then two men reached out and pulled him away from his Jared and Jensen was afraid he would drown in the midnight sky. He tried to reach out, to reach his Jared but a woman with kind eyes gave him something to drink and the sky swallowed him. 

 

*******************

 

Jared was home! He had made it back! He slept long into midmorning. When he had finally opened his eyes he found his sisters and father watching him. 

“Good morning, Jared,” his father greeted him. 

Kim and Mel just hugged him and seemed determined to never let go again. Gavin waited patiently till Kim had shared all the important news and Mel was finally able to let go of Jared’s hand. But at long last they were able to leave and Gavin and Jared were alone. 

“Since you are updated on what happened here how about you give me an update on your adventures?”

So Jared told his father everything that had happened since he had freed Sol and Jenny, how he was caught, convicted and ended up in the royal harem, where he heard about the planed overthrow and how he had saved Jensen and escaped back to the forest.

“Quite a journey you have made, my son.” Gavin said. “What do you expect me to do?”

“Father, you heard what I told you about Boris’s plans? We need to warn the Girians.”

“Yes, I think you’re right. But what about King Jensen? What will he expect us to do?”

“I don’t know what he’ll expect. How is he?” 

“Doria took him in last night. Let’s go and see for ourselves.”

They left their tree room and made their way to Doria, the chief healer of the Forest people.

“Jared! It’s good to see you back. We were all very worried about you. Your father even sent word to his brother-in-law,” she greeted them. 

Jared looked at his father, he had no doubt that his father had done what he could to find him, but he hadn’t even known he had been caught by the royal guard. 

“How is Jensen doing?” Jared asked.

“He will recover. None of his inner organs was injured, he lost a lot of blood and the ride to us wasn’t helpful, but he is young and strong, so give him a few of days rest and he will be as good as new. But now I’d like to check your arm and back. Looks like you were on the receiving end of a bad beating.”

“Jared, I need to call a gathering into The Middle for tonight. I will call the entire Forest and I would like for you to tell them what Ambassador Boris said and about the revolt in Stone Statt. Then we will decide what to do,” with those words Gavin exited the room and left Jared in Doria’s care.

 

********************

 

Doria had made a special salve for his bruises, “nobody needs to see them tonight” she had told him and now Jared was sitting in a chair his chest, arms and back covered in a greenish grey, slimy stuff. He was now supposed to wash it slowly off. He looked at Jensen and saw he was slowly coming around.

His dream had seemed so real and now every breath hurt. Maybe he should stop breathing for a while? Jensen became awake bit by bit. First he heard the birds and people talking far away, then the smell of fresh earth and forest entered his mind and at last he opened his eyes. He saw Jared sitting in a chair not far away. He was wet and drying himself off and Jensen remembered the day in the palace when Jared had taken a bath in the fountain and Elo had told him he was in love with Jared. How different some things would have been, if he had professed his love to Jared back then…

Between the hurt and the pain Jensen was in, he had to tell Jared. “Jared, I love you.” 

Jared looked up surprised he hadn’t known Jensen was now fully conscious and awake. He looked at him and told his former master: “You lost a lot of blood. You should rest so you get better.”

“I know… but, Jared… I love you and I want you to know that.” Jensen answered from the bed made out of furs. The sun was shining outside and he could see thru the open door The Middle and some of Forest People walking nearby. 

Jared looked down at Jensen. He was still ghostly pale but someone had cleaned him up, had washed away the blood and the dirt smudges and even redressed him in a clean white shirt. 

“You don’t know what love is. You…” Jared said he took a deep breath to collect himself “All you know is desire and lust, but you don’t know love.” He paused a moment to calm down. “You wanted me, you made me your slave, you fucked me, and you gave me to the ambassador, when it was opportune and convenient to you. Maybe you were afraid of your feelings and you….” Jared had started to pace the tree room too agitated to stand still, he turned back to look at Jensen, but he had fallen asleep again.

Jared huffed out a breath and shook his head, turning around and leaving the tree room. 

“Do you feel better now?” his father asked. He was leaning with his back to the door way and had obviously heard what Jensen had said and Jared’s response. 

“Yes… I do.” Jared answered heatedly and turned to walk away.

“Jared.” His father gently caught hold of his arm “Do you really think now was the time to tell him that?” 

“I don’t know.” Jared answered truthfully “but I know that I couldn’t hold it back anymore. I wanted to tell him all that for a long time. He is still a spoiled brat.”

“Yes, maybe he is… although wounded as he is, you are the only link to his past and as far as he knows, the only one who cares about him. And for him to first proclaim his love to you must mean something too” Gavin looked up at the sky thru the tree top and said to Jared “Get your head free. Go hunting or meet with Jess or Jason or both or… whatever. I’ll watch over Jensen.”

Jared nodded before he turned and walked away. 

 

****************

 

Jared left together with Jason the next morning to meet with Elo. He was dressed again, gone was the loin cloth, replaced again by his soft leather breeches. The gathering last night ended with Jared being given the right to offer Jensen the joined forces of the Forest People and messengers had been sent to the Girian council to warn them about the plans Gunnar and Boris had for them. They expected a response within the next day.

Jared and Jason took their usual route high up in the trees, walking the branches so it took them only one hour to reach the creek. Elo was already there and he wasn’t alone, Cas was with him. While scouting the area Jared and Jason had counted more than 80 of the royal guardsmen outside the forest waiting for Elo to come back. Jared told Jason to wait for Jared’s signal and then jumped the last three meters down.

Elo spun around drawing his sword, and relaxed only slightly when he saw it was Jared.

“Cas, I’m glad to see you’re still alive.” Jared said.

“I’m glad too.” Cas said with a nod.

“How is Jensen?” Elo asked.

“Healing in our village… our best healer cares for him.” Jared answered.

“We would like to see him,” Cas said.

“Of course, but it will take a while. You should let your guards know that you are going with me and that you won’t be back before tomorrow.”

If they were surprised that Jared knew about the guardsmen they didn’t show it.

 

**************

 

Walking on the forest floor with their visitors it took the hunters’ small party the better part of the morning to get back to Jared’s home. In the gathering they had talked about blindfolding the Stone people, so they wouldn’t know how to find the tree village, but Jared had told them that to the Stone people one tree looked exactly like another and if there weren’t any tracks to follow they wouldn’t be able to find the way to the village again.

 

****************

 

To say Cas and Elo were surprised by what they saw would be an understatement.

“This is not what I expected at all,” Cas said standing in The Middle.

“This way….,” the young hunter walked across the area ahead of them. “After you see Jensen, my father, Gavin, would like to talk to you,” Jared said.

“Your father?” Elo asked.

“Yes, my father is the chieftain of the Forest People,” Jared informed them.

Cas and Elo looked at Jared as if he had grown a second head.

“You’re the son of Chief Gavin? The first son of Lady Lora?” Elo asked.

“Yes.” Jared simply said.

He led Cas and Elo to Doria’s tree room just off The Middle. As he entered the room Jensen smiled at him. He had recovered a bit under Doria’s care and was sitting up in his bed as he watched Cas and Elo enter.

Jared was about to leave them alone, when Jensen called him back.

“Jared, please stay. It’s only thanks to you we all are here. Your father told me about the danger the Girians and your people are in. Gavin and I think it is time the Stone People, Forest People and Girians work together, fight together against a mutual enemy.”

 

************************

 

 

Chapter 10

 

Meanwhile the news they got from Stone Statt was even worse than expected. If anyone was against the change in leadership, he became a slave. If a man couldn’t pay the astronomically high taxes just imposed, he became a slave. 

It took several days for Jensen to recover sufficiently for Doria to declare him healed enough to leave the bed. He was wandering around The Middle looking for Jared. He winked at Kim and Mel. They had visited him often because Kim wanted to hear stories about the palace. Mel hadn’t been so trusting or forgiving, but then he couldn’t blame her. 

He found Jared in deep conversation with a man he had never seen before. The newcomer was as tall as Jared but had long black hair. 

“Mark, let me introduce you to Jensen of Stone Statt, Jensen, this is Mark from the Girian council.” 

The next days Jared spent with Jensen making plans to retake Stone Statt. They were joined by Cas, Elo, and Gavin and now Mark.

 

Cas was deep in discussion with Mark council. Jensen was with them and listening with interest to what Mark told them. He informed them of the raids Arroka had run against Girian border settlements. It was the same way the troubles had started in Stone Statt and Jensen remembered all too well how helpless he had felt and how grateful he had been towards his uncle when he had “taken care” of the problem. 

He saw now that as a true king it had been his responsibility to take care of that situation. Due to his arrogance and ignorance, his throne had been violently seized by a traitor and Jensen was no longer certain he had ever been worthy of the crown he had once worn. Cas would be a better king, Elo would be a better king, hell, even his former drugged fuck toy Jared would be a better king.

 

*********************

 

Jared and Jensen were in the middle of discussing guerilla tactics versus a battle, when Jared realized for the first time that he was beginning to truly like this Jensen. He had dropped his arrogant attitude and selfish ways. He was seriously involved and seemed to actually care about the future of his people, the Girians and the Forest people. 

Jensen felt Jared’s gaze upon him and looked up and into Jared’s eyes. He didn’t know what he expected to see but the honest respect and something more had him smiling shyly back.

Elo was all for an epic battle involving huge armies. Cas was for diplomatic steps and tricks working behind Boris’s back inside Arroka, in order to have Boris disgraced and alone. Jared was for using guerilla tactics such as luring the enemy into the forest in small groups and attacking them from above. Jensen was for any solution that would produce the lowest body count.

“Let’s combine it.” Jensen said.

“Great idea we could organize a small group enter the palace undetected …” Jared started.

“… we take Ambassador Boris and Gunnar as hostages…” Jensen added.

“… and without them the Arrokadian mercenaries won’t fight…” Jared finished.

They had talked themselves into exhaustion and this seemed to be the first plan that could work without the loss of too many lives. Suddenly Jared was too close to Jensen. When they heard Gavin’s voice discussing something with Cas outside the tree room, Jared took a step back and the spell was broken.

“Excuse me.” Jared said as he turned around and hurried away.

Elo didn’t like the plan, neither did Cas but they both learned, had to learn, to acknowledge the force Jared and Jensen became when they decided to work together.

Elo had to admit that Jared and Jensen had put together a nice plan, and usually he would be all for it. But he was sure Jensen intended to actually participate in the fight himself and as his personal guard he just couldn’t agree to this. Jensen had been an experienced fighter –three years ago - but with all the celebrating and decadent partying he had attended, he had ceased practicing any of his fighting skills.

The former king’s personal guard was walking to the forest training grounds. Jared had asked if he cared to join them as he was training with a small group of forest people who would, with a small contingent of the royal guards, enter the palace and try to retake the throne. When Elo entered the training ground he found his men waiting but none of the hunters were present. 

“Now!” 

The air was filled with a quick whistling sound and an individual arrow hit the ground in front of each and every guard except Elo. 

“You would all be dead!” they heard Jared’s disembodied voice from somewhere nearby.

“All but me...” Elo called back to the trees, trying to locate the hiding spot of at least one of the forest warriors.

“No. I would have cut your throat after you watched your men die.” Suddenly, Jared was right behind Elo, holding a knife to Elo’s throat. 

“I yield.” A startled Elo gasped and Jared let go of him. 

“I thought we were practicing together,” an embarrassed Elo said, slowly turning around to face Jared.

“We are… but I thought I should show you what would happen to any troops trying to invade our forest. They wouldn’t see us, they wouldn’t hear us, and they wouldn’t know what killed them. Be assured the Forest People are more than ready to defend our home and our trees. Show yourselves!” Jared called out and one by one a warrior dropped from the trees to the ground until there were ten in number.

Elo nodded at Jared, he took it as what it was… a warning. 

“Yes. I will keep that in mind but you keep in mind we are going to Stone Statt and there are not so many trees in the palace, so you will be on our turf.” 

“Yes, I have kept that in mind, which is the reason why we have to work together. Let’s get started.” 

Elo didn’t know what he had expected, but sure as hell it wasn’t a well-trained group of skilled hunters. He understood Jared’s subtle threat. He would do the same to guard his people and with a sudden shame he realized he hadn’t done his job. He hadn’t been able to guard his king or his town. Elo took a deep breath, he would reconquer Stone Statt and he would help Jensen to regain his throne or he would die trying.

 

Jensen, Cas and Mark made their way to the training grounds. Obviously the training had ended and only one pair of fighters was still practicing. Jensen’s mouth was suddenly dry, his guards and the hunters had formed a circle and in the middle were Elo and Jared fighting with sabers.

It was clear that Elo was the more experienced fighter of the two but Jared was fast and he had several inches on Elo. 

“They do know that this is just practice, don’t they?” Mark asked.

“Well, I think Jared needs to prove something.” Cas observed wisely. 

Jensen couldn’t take his eyes off of Jared and he remembered the day of Jared’s capture and how he had reminded him of the jaguar they had caught all those years ago. Jensen looked longingly at Jared’s naked chest glistening with sweat, his supple leather breeches tight against his ass and legs. He swallowed hard, Jared had been right he was just lusting after him, but Jensen decided here on these grounds, in front of all the people who were willing to fight for him and his throne, that he would become the kind of king worthy of their dedication and sacrifice.

 

Jensen, Jared, Elo, Cas, Gavin and Mark were sitting on table in the Middle. Time was running out and they needed to finish up their plan. 

“So how do you want to get in?” Mark asked he had a talent to ask the hardest questions right away.

“Sneak in the same way we got Jensen out,” Elo said.

“Our sources tell us that they even guard the servants’ hallways now because of that.” Cas stated. Cas was the one working with an intelligence group, Jensen didn’t know how he kept in contact with people inside Stone Statt but he had managed to gain much useful information.

They all fell silent because the whole plan had been built around having the element of surprise on their side. 

“I might have an idea.” Jared said carefully, he was well aware that he was the youngest in this group and having been held as the king’s toy… made Jared unusually self conscious “I read a book in the king’s own private library about the “Art of War” and someone had written notes upon some pages. Like how important it was to have a secret passageway for a quick escape or entry just for the King to know about...” 

They all looked expectantly at Jensen for confirmation but he was looking at Jared. 

“I didn’t know you could read,” he said. 

“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me.” Jared muttered under his breath only for Jensen to hear.

“My father told me about a certain passageway on his death bed. But I never checked it out. It was his book you read in my chambers,” he said nodding to Jared. “But I never read his edition. He told me I should read it but I … I never did.” Jensen finished a guilty expression on his face for having failed his father.

“But you know where it is?” Jared asked.

“Yes, but it is hard to find and I will need to show you where the entrance is...” Jensen said; glad to have finally found a good reason to be allowed to come along.

“What? No way!” Elo shouted “My king, it’s too dangerous… we could…”

“I know, Elo.” Jensen stated. “But I won’t sit around and let other people fight for my throne and my kingdom. I am the king and I will fight for my right!” 

Cas smiled and nodded his approval and threw Jared a look as if to say “That is the real King Jensen… that is the man I chose to serve.” 

Jared would have preferred if Jensen would stay in the forest, because… well he didn’t want to dwell on that too much. “You will need training,” was all he said.

 

After they had finished their planning as far as they could, Jensen asked “Jared, can we talk?”

Jared had been in conversation with Elo and his father but nodded. He excused himself and walked to Jensen. “I have the feeling you have been avoiding me.” Jensen told Jared.

Jared looked into Jensen’s eyes a faint blush creeping on his cheeks, “I have things to do. We are planning an ambush and I have to train with my people.”

“Well, Elo and Cas still find time to talk to me.” Jensen said with a small smile.

“They are your servants but I am no longer your slave.” With that Jared turned around and left the Middle.

 

******************

 

Jared needed some time. He knew he had been ugly to Jensen and he was never ugly towards other people. So he had asked Jason and Jess to go swimming with him. For the first time since he had returned to the forest he had asked his friends to spend some time with him apart from the meals. They went to their favorite clearing with the lake. The water had been refreshing and now they were sitting with their backs to a tree still naked and drying in the sun. 

“Jared, there is something we’ve been wanting to tell ever you since you returned,” Jason broke the silence. “Jess and I… we want to give the vows.” 

Jared looked up in surprise. He felt left out and a little bit betrayed. Before his capture, before Stone Statt and before Jensen, Jared had always pictured himself and Jess and maybe even Jason taking the vows together. Living together in a tree room and raising a bunch of kids together. He knew he was a good hunter and could provide for a large family, but now… They didn’t even bother to offer him taking the vows with them.  
“Jared, please,” Jess pleaded “You must understand how everything changed for us. We thought we lost you forever. Jason was there for me and I was there for him and what started as playing together became love.”

Jared had tears of self-pity in his eyes but said, “I’m happy for you. For both of you, but for me this is another piece of my future gone, taken away by that selfish bastard.”

“I thought you liked him.” Jess said.

“I never said that.” Jared answered hotly.

“No… but at lunch yesterday you admitted that you liked it sometimes being with Jensen in the palace,” Jason offered.

“But only because I wasn’t …. I wouldn’t be drugged again as long as I stayed with him.  
This was a stupid idea.” Jared said hastily climbing to his feet and getting dressed. “Again I’m happy for both of you and I’m glad you told me.” 

With that he walked away. Of the many things Jared thought would happen when he was back home, feeling lonely and alone wasn’t one of them. Sure he could talk to everyone and all were glad he was back, but he had lost his friends and now since he knew Jess and Jason were planning on giving the vows to each other he felt as lost as he had in the palace. He wished for a friend for someone who knew how it felt to lose everything and would understand.

 

*******************************

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 11

 

He swallowed hard, he wasn’t sure he was making the right decision but he had had enough of his own self-pity. Maybe there was someone who knew how he felt and maybe he could be a friend. He could still remember the short glimpses he had enjoyed of a more sensitive, gentler Jensen while in the palace and even more so here in the forest. It was almost like the forest had washed away Jensen’s arrogance and left behind…something unknown. Well, Jared was determined to find out what and who Jensen really was now. 

Jared appeared out of nowhere behind him.

“How do you do that?” Jensen asked. 

“I heard you need some exercise, so I would like to show you something. Come with me,” Jared said avoiding Jensen’s question. 

They walked along the tree branches just as Jared and his people normally would. The first part took them thru the part of his home village located at the center of this tree but soon after they left the village behind and started to climb up the tree. It took Jared and Jensen quite a while to reach the top, they met one guard on the outlook but Jared’s destination was still a little bit higher. Up and up they climbed to the very top of his home tree.

It was noon, the sun was high and the air moved slowly in a warm breeze. Jared and Jensen had reached their destination, just a foliage-free white trunk with no further branches above them.

Jensen had a hard time catching his breath.

“This is one of my favorite places in the whole forest.” Jared said pointing up the white trunk. “From up here your problem is put into the right size.”

Faraway they could see smoke in the sky, most likely from fires in the distant palatial city.

“I can still see my problem from up here,” Jensen murmured quietly.

“Yes, true. That’s why we’ve got to do something about it and we will do something about it soon.”

“Why do you care?” Jensen queried.

“It’s no longer only a Stone Statt problem. Girian would be next, and as strong as my people are, against the combined forces of the three realms the Forest people wouldn’t stand a chance.” Jared took a deep breath to brace and collect himself before he continued, “In the palace there is a little girl I care about and I would like to know she is okay.”

“A little girl?” Jensen sounded surprised. He was intrigued, wondering how and where a harem boy might have found a child to befriend.

Jared knew if he wanted to be friends with Jensen he had to start somewhere. Jared needed to unburden himself of so many things that had hurt him in body and mind while in captivity and Jensen needed to know about them in order to understand Jared better. There was little room up here, but Jared showed Jensen how to sit down safely against the naked trunk and then Jared began his long, rambling tale.

He wove a tale about Amy and how Elo had blackmailed him with threats against her. About the drug and how it made him unable to act or speak on his own behalf and the insane feeling of helplessness that had caused. About his desire to stay with Jensen just so he wouldn’t be drugged constantly. About how he had overheard Boris revealing the plan to overthrow Jensen. About his night with Boris and how much he had tortured and how often he’d been raped. About Jensen and his strange love confession. About telling Elo Boris’s plans. About the start of the revolt and Jensen being stabbed by Gunnar. About their escape into the forest and about Jess and Jason planning their vows… 

And finally he talked about how both he and the life he had always loved had changed and that now all he felt was lonely, lost and alone and that maybe Jensen could relate.

Noon was long gone and the sun sat low over the land when Jared at last finished his story. His cheeks were wet with tears and Jensen’s own sad, emerald eyes and lashes were likewise shimmering with salty wetness. 

“How can you still want to help us? After all we have done to you! After everything I did to you! How can you trust us? How can you still want to help us? Or help me?” Jensen asked incredulously his voice a mere whisper.

“I don’t trust you or Elo or Cas. I can’t. But I have seen you, Boris and Gunnar at your very worst and given a choice…? I choose to fight for you.” Jared stated honestly.

`So I’m just the devil you know? The lesser evil?!` Jensen thought, realizing in horror how that made him feel, how that meant Jared saw him. But aloud he said sincerely, “For what it’s worth, Jared, I’m sorry.” 

Jensen was shocked. Of course he had known certain parts of Jared’s story. Hell, he had played a major part in most of it, but he had never thought of Jared’s rape again as he had selfishly chosen to concentrate all his energies only upon himself.

“I know that’s why I told you.” Jared nodded. It hadn’t been easy to tell Jensen all of this but in a strange way it had helped. In an effort to collect himself again he wiped the last tears away, before standing and offering Jensen a hand to steady him, “Let’s go down, the others will wonder where we are.”

 

***************************

 

After that it became easier for Jared to be around Jensen, he stopped avoiding him and even went to ask him for advice. They practiced together on the training ground. Elo was responsible for helping Jensen with his saber fighting, while Jared helped him with archery and hand-to-hand combat. 

As the days slipped past, Jared noticed a real change in Jensen. He was singularly focused on his task and with a little pain to his heart he discovered Jensen had stopped lusting after him. He wondered if this was due to him telling Jensen about the rape but shrugged it off. During their evening meals together they discussed everything from hunting techniques, to the books they both knew or the latest news and gossip they received from Stone Statt. This quickly became Jared’s favorite time of the day. 

Several nights passed after Jared had bared his soul and shared his tale of palace enslavement. This night during dinner Jensen had once more delighted Jared and their tablemates with an animated story about a childhood journey with his father. Jared marveled at the normalcy of Jensen’s banter. After much laughter and gentle camaraderie, the meal ended and Jensen excused himself to go for a walk.

After the young king had taken his leave, Jared sat pondering the feelings the man evoked in him. Jared felt confused. How far was he willing to go? How much could he like Jensen? Was there more than friendship between them? How could he fall for someone who had kept him as a slave? Could Jensen have changed so much in such a short time? 

As the young hunter climbed to his feet a warm gentle hand caught his forearm.

“Jared, a word… please,” his father murmured softly. “As I see you seem to have made your peace with Jensen.”

“No, not yet, Father, but I’m working on it.” Jared offered as honestly as he could. His father was the only one who knew all about Jared’s time in the palace.

“Work carefully, Jared. Trust is earned not taken, I like Jensen but I’m not sure we can trust the young King once he is back on his throne. Are we truly an ally and equal partners, or are we just a useful means to an end for him? What happens once he is back in a position of power, what will we be then? I know the Gathering gave you full access to all the forces the forest has to offer, but… you must consider our role carefully, both before and after assisting the king. You have not only to consider the future for yourself at this time, but for your people as well.” 

Jared nodded his understanding. With a fond hug, Gavin climbed to his feet and with an encouraging smile left his son to consider his father’s words of caution.

 

**************************

 

Cas had seen the confusion on Jared’s face as he and Gavin had listened to Jensen talking animatedly during this day’s evening meal. After Jensen left and Jared had finished talking with his father, Jared had continued to sit at the table, silently buried deep in thought.

Now Cas leaned closer to the younger man and spoke quietly, “You know, Jared…? This man is the king that Jensen was always meant to be. This man is the one we knew from long before. His father’s death and Gunnar’s bad influence had changed him somehow. His old friends have seen the brightness removed from him. We did not know how to restore him,” Cas smiled sadly. “But…that time is now ending. He was just hidden, but you bring him out of the shadows. It is you who makes him better. You restore him.” 

Jared wasn’t sure how much Cas had overheard of his talk with his father, so he smiled gratefully at Cas but didn’t say a word.

 

*************************

 

It had become customary for Jensen to join Jared on his last round of checking the security of their home tree before retiring for the night. This last circuit usually led Jared up the tree to his favorite spot on the tree top. Jensen had nearly died of shock when on the very first evening Jared had climbed up the naked trunk to stand at the top of the forest. He had been even more astonished when a wild falcon had come circling around Jared before settling a few moments on the young hunter’s outstretched arm. The picture of the combined beauty and freedom from Jared and the falcon took his breath away. 

After the magnificent bird had soared away into the night, Jared had climbed down again and they sat against the trunk. Jensen asked “Is that your falcon?”

“What? No. I just asked her how your guardsmen on the forest border were faring.”

“You did what?”

“I asked her…”

“I know what you said but how do you do it? How can you speak to another creature who cannot answer in words?” Jensen asked full of wonder.

Jared looked at him, “I … I don’t know. How do you breathe? How do you let your heart beat? How do you talk to the trees? You just do it.” 

“You talk to the trees?!” Jensen asked in surprise as he grew more certain that maybe Jared was just making fun of him.

“Well… the trees around here are old, tired and pretty lacy. You really have to talk a lot and repeat it often until they understand. It’s easier to talk to younger trees,” Jared explained with true sincerity.

As a child Jensen’s nana had told him bedtime stories about the Forest People and how they talked to the animals and trees but he had never believed those tales. He had thought it was just a fanciful way of delighting a sleepy child. But now, here he was a lost king and Jared had just told him to relax and talk to the trees. 

“Okay… so what did Mrs. Falcon tell you about my guards?” he played along, because he was quite sure now that Jared was indeed making fun of him.

“Well, she said they roasted some deer tonight and four rabbits. And she doesn’t care about the deer but said they should leave the rabbits for her. She only caught three mice and her children were still hungry.”

Jensen looked at Jared he was sure he was kidding him but Jared had an absolutely serious look on his face and suddenly Jensen couldn’t take it any longer, a laugh bubbled up, he tried to swallow it down but it burst out and he couldn’t stop. At first Jared looked irritated at Jensen and then he joined in. Soon they were both trying to catch their breath. 

Suddenly they were in each other’s space and breathing each other’s air. Jensen leaned a little bit closer trying to close the distance… 

“We should get back down,” Jared said abruptly, as he sprang upright, putting as much distance between himself and Jensen as he could.

 

**************************

 

It was in the middle of the night and Jared couldn’t find sleep. His thoughts always traveled back to the tree top and Jensen. It wasn’t like he hadn’t wanted to kiss Jensen; it was more like… he was afraid. In the palace he hadn’t been called to the king’s bed even once after his night with Boris. And as much as he avoided thinking about that night during the day, which wasn’t really hard with all the things happening right now, it still haunted him at night. 

His memories of that night weren’t very clear. He remembered he had passed out more than once, only to awake to more horrible applications of torture. The memories of the whips, knives and rape came to him in flashes of ghostly pain. Anger boiled up in him… anger at the King, at Gunnar and most of all Boris and his friends. He turned on his side and looked out of his window. He hated to feel like this, helpless and worthless. He knew it had been a risk trying to be friends with Jensen and now in the middle of the night lying awake for hours he wondered if he had tried too hard. He wasn’t sure he could differentiate between the king in the palace and the person Jensen seemed to become in the forest. He wasn’t sure if he could trust the change to remain in place once Jensen regained his throne. As he had told Jensen not so long ago he didn’t trust him so the question was… was he willing to forgive King Jensen in order to trust him? He wondered if there was a way to make certain that Jensen would be true to his word… something like a vow. 

On some levels Jared already trusted Jensen. He was willing to go back to Stone Statt a place where he still would be considered a slave in the eyes of the law and many of its people. He felt that somewhere hidden deep in the back of his mind there was a solution to all his worries, but Jared fell asleep before he could figure it out.

 

The next morning three days before their planned strike Jared was having breakfast with Cas, his father, Elo and Mark when Jensen joined them. Again Jared got the feeling that the solution to his trust problem was right before his eyes. 

 

********************************

 

“The only good in the evil this war brings is that there are more people giving their vows than I have seen in years.” Gavin said to Cas. 

“Yes… humans tend to look for security in times of war and change.” 

Feeling as if he had instantly been struck by divine inspiration, Jared looked at Jensen, his father and Cas and blurted out, “We should get married too!”

“Who?” All three of them asked in confusion.

“Jensen and me.” Jared said, “It would be the perfect solution, it would solve the trust issue our people and the Girians still have with fighting for the King of Stone Statt, would it not? And it would ensure we stay friends when this war is over. Jensen will reclaim his throne and announce that he has found a husband and is married.” 

“Husband? You mean a consort.” Cas bristled. 

“No, Cas. If we do this together, if we fight together, freeing Stone Statt, I would like to marry Jared. Two Kings, equal together, ruling together.” Jensen decreed. With a warning glare at Cas, the air of finality in his suddenly strong voice put an end to any further discussion of the matter.

Jensen had been more than surprised by Jared’s proposal but if that was what it took to gain Jared’s trust he was more than willing to marry Jared. He knew he’d been in love with Jared for a long time. The only thing that bothered him was his knowledge that Jared didn’t feel the same way. Was this marriage for Jared some kind of sacrifice?

“There is just one problem,” Gavin spoke carefully “We would have to do it before we go to Stone Statt. Giving the vows requires that Forest people be lovers first…nothing more and nothing less.” 

Here he looked sharply at Jared who ducked his head under his father’s gaze. “And I know that Stone Statt has many different concepts of getting married. But… as Jensen already declared and we now demand, this will be an equal marriage. They will both be kings.” 

“Along the lines of previous protocol it should work,” Cas mused. “Jared was in the harem and the rulers of Stone Statt always marry out of the royal harem. The two ruler concept has happened in the past whenever the chosen husband or wife of the Stone Statt ruler was already in a position of power by birth ….”

“Well then, everything is agreed upon. I didn’t expect to join a wedding when I came here but my people surely appreciate your dedication to your people, Jared,” Mark said. “Your dedication also… Jensen,” he added as an afterthought.

Elo, Cas, Jensen and Mark discussed the further arrangements that needed to be made before the mission to the palace, while Gavin motioned for his son to follow him. They made their way along the big branches up the tree to a more private area. 

“I know what you’re about to do and why, and as your chieftain, I appreciate what you are willing to do. But, son, as your father and as someone who loves you, I have to ask, are you sure? Do you love King Jensen?”

“I like Jensen,” Jared answered avoiding part of the question.

“But you are not lovers.” 

Jared wasn’t sure that was meant to be a question and usually he didn’t discuss his love life with his father but this was a different and complicated situation.

“I shared a bed with King Jensen many nights, father.”

“Did you make love or did you just fuck? Was it playing or making love? Jared, I want you to be happy and content when this is all over. Do you think Jensen can make you happy? I lost you once to Stone Statt… I don’t want to lose you again.” Gavin took a deep breath, a small smile played across his lips as he looked his oldest child in the eyes, “You know our customs, so go become lovers and then come back and take the vows. Gods! I never thought I would be telling my son this.”

 

*********************

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 12

 

First I will say, “I want to be joined with you. We are lovers. We are equals. We want to share our lives.” And then you will answer, “We want to share our lives. We are equals. We are lovers. I want to be joined with you.” Jared explained to Jensen.

“That’s all?” Jensen asked slightly amused. In Stone Statt the royal wedding was bound to be the festival of the year with month after month of preparations. In the end taking the vows would be basically the same. And of course it was expected the king of Stone Statt would be married to a consort or a princess and not some convicted pleasure slave.

“Not quite… ,” Jared admitted. “They expect us to be lovers.”

A trace of King Jensen’s arrogance was on Jensen’s face when he said: “Oh, Jared, how can you forget our time in the palace?”

Jared released an exasperated sigh, “You don’t get it, do you? That wasn’t love. There wasn’t trust. There wasn’t sharing. There was lust, desire and fucking. You Stone people take the precious gift the gods gave to the First Lovers and tarnish it.”

Jared was getting angry again and that wouldn’t help, in an effort to calm himself he took a deep breath. Jensen looked at Jared seriously. In all the time they had spent together they had never talked about the Gods or the First Lovers. It was Jensen’s favorite story of the Beginning but he had never thought to apply their view of the love act to his way of living. 

“Sorry… that was a stupid thing for me to say.” Suddenly Jensen knew exactly what he had to do, the question was would he dare.

 

************************

 

Jared and Jensen reclined in a bed of soft moss. They were in the very heart of the Forest where only the huge trees bore witness. 

“Are you trembling?” Jared asked in a soft voice.

“I’ve never been the one on the bottom before,” Jensen confessed nervously. 

“What? Why?” Jared asked. It was true in their entire time in the palace Jensen had always been the one on top but Jared had thought … well… that he did it by choice and not out of a strange sense of disgrace. Jensen blushed. It was a good look on him Jared thought. 

“When I will be king I will always bottom. Let the other one do the work and cherish my body,” Jared said smiling and not really serious. “Relax, Jensen. Let me help you.”

He kissed a gentle trail down his entire torso. When Jared reached Jensen’s member he closed his lips around the tip. As he swallowed Jensen’s cock down, he started circling his oiled fingers around Jensen’s opening. Not quite entering just circling. Jared took a deep breath and started to hum around Jensen’s cock. He knew from the palace that this drove Jensen crazy. Jensen started to thrust upward and without really noticing he pushed back onto Jared’s oiled finger. 

Jensen didn’t know if he should push back on Jared’s finger or forward into his mouth. Carefully Jared added a second and third finger. 

Jensen was going sheer crazy, he felt full but in a really, really good way. 

When Jared’s fingers touched his prostate he almost came, but Jared staved it off and prolonged Jensen’s sweet torture.

“Jared, please, please I want you in me when I come,” Jensen begged and Jared was in no position to decline. He let Jensen’s member slip from his mouth. 

“It would be easier on your hands and knees.” Jared murmured softly.

“I want to see you. I need to see you.” Jensen whispered like he wanted to keep it a secret between them. 

Jared oiled his member up again and tenderly traced Jensen’s rim. He lined himself up and pushed in. His cock was bigger than three of his fingers and Jensen groaned at the intrusion. Jared pulled out again gently and pushed in again more deeply. 

Jensen began to lose his patience and pushed up against Jared. All of the sudden Jensen and Jared were joined completely. Jared felt the soft, hot channel grab his cock. 

Jensen felt complete like Jared’s cock was a missing part of his body and he was now whole for the first time in his life. 

It was clear to both of them with a build-up like this they wouldn’t last long. Jared set a rhythm and Jensen met him in a dance as old as the First Lovers. Jared took Jensen’s hand and brought it to Jensen’s cock, it took only a couple of strokes of their joined hands and they both came almost at the same moment.

“I love you, Jared.” Jensen whispered.

As they lay there together naked in the forest, Jensen didn’t worry about reconquering Stone Statt, rebuilding the palace or whatever other obstacles awaited him, for now they were just happy to be in each other’s arms. 

 

*************************

 

That next evening they were holding hands as they stepped out of Jared’s home into the Middle. Jared and Jensen were dressed identically in soft leather breeches and their naked, oiled chests gleamed in the light of the torches lit around the big open space.

They stepped up to Gavin as the villagers and royal guards formed a circle around them. “We are all here to bear witness to the vows of Jared and Jensen. Jared, please start.”

With a strong voice Jared gave his vows speaking the ancient words of promise and praying to the gods he had the strength to follow them. “I want to be joined with you. We are lovers. We are equals. We want to share our lives.” 

Gavin smiled at his son. He looked at Jensen and nodded, now it was Jensen’s voice that carried thru the night: “We want to share our lives. We are equals. We are lovers. I want to be joined with you.” He took a deep breath and continued, “And as Jensen, King of Stone Statt, I take Jared as my fellow king. I will love him, cherish him and respect him.” 

For the Forest People it sounded a bit like the king had repeated himself, but the royal guards, Cas, Elo, Gavin and Jared knew that the words of this simple promise meant so much more. If anything horrible should happen to Jensen during the upcoming battle, Jared would then be the rightful King.

Jensen and Cas had had a long discussion about what kind of vow Jensen should give. But Jensen had made clear to his friend and advisor he didn’t want to play around with Jared and that he was going to make sure that Jared knew he was worthy of his trust and maybe someday would truly deserve his love.

They spent their wedding night in their own tree room. Unknown to Jensen, Jared had handpicked their tree room. It was fairly big and from their bed in the blister on the side of their stately home tree they could see the stars at night and the sun rise in the morning. Jared even managed to build a real bed for Jensen not as fancy as the midnight cloud in the palace, but it was soft and comfortable, big enough for the two of them and smelled like the forest after a spring rain.

“Wow. That looks comfortable,” Jensen said with admiration. “I thought the forest people preferred furs or hammocks.” 

“Yes… we do, but I wanted you… comfortable.” Jared answered. 

“Are they expecting…?” Jensen trailed off uncertain how to finish the sentence. 

“No, was it so bad for you?” Jared was suddenly afraid he had unintentionally hurt Jensen.

“What? No! No! It was great and I would like to repeat making love with you as soon as possible. I don’t think now is the right time however, since we leave for Stone Statt in the morning and I will have to sit on a horse for the better part of the day. “

Jensen looked equally parts aroused, embarrassed and smug. Suddenly Jared had to grin back at him, in four steps he had reached Jensen and tackled him backward onto the bed. Lying on top of Jensen he gave him a sweet kiss. 

“You are right, we will have all the time in the world after Stone Statt,” he purred.

Getting up again he undressed and crawled under the covers, holding the blanket up and looking expectantly at Jensen. After only a slight hesitation Jensen undressed and joined Jared. With Jensen’s back snugly pressed to Jared’s chest they both slept more peacefully than they had in ages. 

 

**************************

 

 

 

 

Chapter 13

They huddled together in a little grove right outside Stone Statt. Jensen was looking for the secret entrance and so far he hadn’t discovered anything useful. They would enter the secret passage accompanied by twenty five people. The stealthy invasion included twelve handpicked royal guards, nine forest people, Jared, Jensen, Elo and Cas. Jensen had chosen to dress in a simple tunic and pants similar to his guards’, Elo´s and Cas. 

They intended to sneak into the palace under the cover of the night sky, and then they would split up. The first group would try to get as close to the king’s quarters as possible without being discovered. They mission was to capture Gunnar and Boris. With those two prisoners they would force the Arrokadian soldiers and mercenaries to retreat. Meanwhile the second group would open the doors for the rest of their forces outside the great city’s gates and then free the guardsmen who had been imprisoned due to their loyalty to Jensen and Elo. 

“I think I found it!” Jensen called quietly over his shoulder. Collectively the group released a breath they didn’t know they were holding. It would have been a disaster if Jensen hadn’t found the entrance. 

The passageway was hidden behind some huge, non-descript stones. Elo was the first to enter the dark tunnel. He carried a small torch and that was all the light they would have on their way into the palace. The passageway seemed endless and finally after a long, long time of stumbling thru the darkness they saw a welcome sliver of light. For a while they gathered around the slim light source in absolute silence, until they were certain they heard no movement on the other side of the wall. 

They exited the dark tunnel thru a sliding wooden panel hidden behind a huge, hanging tapestry. They found themselves just outside of Jensen’s former rooms and split up right away. To escape discovery they would have to move fast. Jensen, Jared, Elo, Cas and seven of the guards and hunters hurried towards the king’s rooms, while the other headed off to release their fellow guards from the prison and to let the others in. 

“This way...” Jensen whispered as he led them towards his former rooms. They slipped silently thru the doors and found themselves in Jensen’s old bedchamber. They were disappointed to see the bed empty with no evidence of Gunnar’s current whereabouts.

“We should talk to Kent… He can tell us where Gunnar and Boris are.” Jensen suggested. 

“We don’t know if we can trust him,” Cas protested. “I have no information where his loyalties lie.”

“He was my personal servant for five years.” Jensen insisted. 

“Okay” Elo cut in, “We don’t have time for this, we’ll find out.”

Jensen went to a well-hidden door; he opened it and stepped into Kent’s room, only to find Kent on his knees in front of one of Boris followers. The bastard’s pants were around his knees and he was roughly fucking into Kent’s mouth. 

“Well at least now we know where his loyalty is,” Cas stated aloud as he entered just after Jensen.

“Where did you come from? How did you…?” The Arrokadian asked before he turned around and tried to run. But the pants around his ankles stopped him, dragging him face-first into the stone floor.

“And where do you think you’re going?” Elo snarled a disgusted sneer on his face, as he jerked the man back onto his feet and bound his hands behind his back. 

“I think the question of where his loyalty lies is answered. But I’m also sure you’re right, Jensen. One of these bastards will know where Gunnar and Boris are.” Cas said keeping a hold on Jensen’s former servant.

“King Gunnar and Ambassador Boris had wondered where you ran off to,” the Arrokadian taunted them.

“Where are Gunnar and Boris?” Elo asked in a deadly cold voice. “Give us the answer or I start cutting away body parts you don’t need for talking.”   
“I think in the dining hall, I don’t know I was busy.” Kent answered in a quaking voice.

“Yes, I can see exactly what kept you busy.” Jensen said with a disgusted look at Kent.   
He turned his back to their two prisoners and said to Jared and the others “If they are in the dining hall, they aren’t alone. There would be too many other people around. We need them alone.” 

“If we could only lure them to a room with restricted entry...” Cas pondered aloud.

“The harem! Only royal family and inner court is allowed in there,” Jared suggested.

“But how do we get them to the harem?” Elo asked. 

“I’ve got an idea.” Jared said almost to himself.

 

********************************

 

“Nothing is perfect,” Gunnar thought dryly to himself. Even as the new king he had to sometimes attend boring dinners with boring people, he could almost understand Jensen’s former hatred of official meals, almost. But Gunnar enjoyed the devotion and submission of the lesser people too much. When they bowed to him and offered presents it was all he had ever wanted and all he felt he had ever deserved. 

He looked at Boris; he knew that some people thought he was king only thanks to Boris. But even without the Arrokadians he would have reached for the throne. Jensen had been too weak and too soft to rule Stone Statt. 

Gunnar had planned to give the forest boy to Boris after killing Jensen that day of the revolt. He knew how much he had enjoyed the night with the slave. But the forest boy had escaped and even worse he had taken Jensen with him. They didn’t even know if the former king was still alive or had died of the stab wound Gunnar had given him.

 

******************************

 

All of the sudden Rob was standing close to him, waiting to be seen and allowed to speak. He waved him closer. 

“My King Gunnar, Lord Ambassador Boris,” Rob the overseer of the royal harem bowed deeply. “I wanted to let you know right away, we caught Jared, the forest boy. The guards found him hiding in the stables.” 

“Any signs of Jensen?!” Gunnar asked sitting bolt upright. 

“The boy said he died the same day.” Rob told Gunnar and Boris. 

“Where is he?” They both demanded, getting to their feet at the same time.

 

***********************

 

Entering the harem with only four guards, the two men were surprised not to find Jared chained to the pillars as was customary for harem members who needed to be punished. 

Instead Rob told them, “Jared is in his room. I thought you would prefer a more private setting.”

“Alone?” Gunnar asked sharply.

“No, he is guarded and since he fought like a wild cat, bound. But we cleaned him up. He is ready for you.” Rob said.

Gunnar looked at Boris who was licking his lips, his long tunic doing a good job of almost hiding the erection Boris was already sporting.

Boris opened the door to Jared’s room. He had been here once before on the evening when he had taken the little savage. Jared was standing in the middle of the room, dressed in this silly little leather thing, he was as beautiful as the first day he had seen him. Their previous encounter hadn’t left lasting marks on the young man’s body but this time Boris didn’t need to restrain himself. He could go as far as he liked, he deserved the boy. He had given Gunnar his crown on a silver platter and this boy would be part of his payment. 

Jared’s arms seemed to be bound behind his back and his legs chained together. For Boris he looked beautiful and perfect, he couldn’t wait to explore his endurance further. 

As the two men stepped closer, suddenly as if by magic Jensen, Elo and Cas appeared from behind some partition. 

Realized it had all been a trap, Gunnar rushed forward and grabbed Jared’s bound arms whirling him around so he held Jared’s back to his chest and in an instant he was pointing his knife to the boy’s throat. 

 

***********************

 

Jared didn’t know why he thought they could trust Rob, but as far as he could tell he was loyal. Rob had helped to put Jared back in his loin cloth and had bound his hands together in a way Jared could free himself easily. 

Rob had gone to fetch their quarry as they waited impatiently, only for Cas to reveal the strike team’s presence one or two seconds too early. And now Gunnar had a knife at Jared’s throat. Boris had scurried a few steps back to take cover behind the guards. 

“So you couldn’t leave your fuck toy behind?” Gunnar taunted Jensen. “What happened to fuck them and leave them?” 

“If I were you, I would be very careful with my choice of words… because I fully intend to let my fellow king decide what your fate will be.” Jensen warned.

“Fellow king? You married this savage? This dirty whore? Don’t you know Boris had to clean him before anybody else wanted to fuck him that night? I mean, normally I’m not into boys, but he had such a tight ass and all the others were having such a great time fucking your slave, I decided to fuck his ass while Boris fucked his mouth. They told me later he had two at…” Trying not to listen to Gunnar’s hurtful bragging, Jared had twisted aside just enough to quickly free his hands from the loose bindings. In an instant he had seized Gunnar’s knife hand with both of his. Twisting the knife free, he plunged it between Gunnar’s ribs right into his heart. As blood gushed from his mouth instead of filthy words Gunnar collapsed with a final gurgle. Jared still held the knife in his bloody hands, darting eyes angrily seeking Boris. 

Boris whirled around and ran out of the room “Hold them off,” he ordered the guards that had accompanied him and Gunnar from the dining hall.

The soldiers stepped in front of the open doorway, effectively blocking it. Elo, Cas and Jensen drew their sabers and charged at them. Elo took on two guards at once.

Jared shook his head in an effort to get a grip on himself. He didn’t want to think about what Gunnar had said, no he wanted to get Boris. He wanted to kill Boris. Avoiding the clanging and swinging arcs of clashing swords, he maneuvered around the combatants and managed to creep to the doorway and out of the room in pursuit of Boris. 

“Jared… wait!” he heard Jensen called after him, but the heated, angry blood rushing thru his system and his heartbeat were louder.

Not far ahead he could see Boris. Jared pumped his legs faster, trying to catch up to him, so he couldn’t escape the harem. How Jared wished he still had his bow and arrow but he had left them behind when he had changed clothing for their ruse.

 

*************************

 

 

Jensen was fighting with all he had, he knew two or three years ago he could’ve fought off this guard in no time. The short time in the forest had been enough time to recognize how much of his fighting skill he had forgotten and lost. But then suddenly Cas was at his side and together they overpowered the Arrokadian quickly.

Rob reappeared with two of the loyal harem guards and they bound the surviving Arrokadians hands and feet. 

“Where is Jared?” Jensen asked catching his breath.

“He ran after Boris,” Elo said.

“What? How could you let this happen? He is your king, just as much as I am. Would you let me run after Boris alone? Let’s go and find him!”

“My king!” Rob intercepted “What should we do with Lord Gunnar?” 

“Display his head on the wall over the main gates like a traitor deserves.”

Jensen… no ‘King Jensen’ had been right since Jared had put on the loincloth Elo had a hard time thinking of him as ‘King’ Jared. But Elo had also seen the hard glimmer of revenge in Jared’s eyes, he was out for murder. Quite honestly he didn’t want to come between Jared and his rightful desire for vengeance against the Arrokadians. He was glad Jared had set his focus on Boris and his friends and followers and not on Jensen, Cas and him.

They followed Jared out of the harem when they heard the shouts they had been waiting for… “For Stone Statt! For the Kings!”

The other group had finally freed the prisoners and had opened the palace gates for the rest of their forces. 

“I want as many of the group around Ambassador Boris captured alive, as possible,” Jensen ordered, “Now… Let’s find King Jared.” 

 

********************

 

He was aware that the second group had opened the gates; there was fighting all around him and not only soldiers were fighting it seemed like many of the townsfolk had joined their forces and were fighting against the Arrokadian mercenaries. But he was focused on only one man and he continued to follow Boris through the milling throngs.

It was like Gunnar’s vicious, spite-filled words had opened a can of worms, that were now crawling inside Jared’s head. Scenes of that night flashed in front of his mind’s eye. He almost ran into a wall because he couldn’t focus on the here and now. Being exposed to the cruel memories and flash backs it was no wonder he ran into Boris’s trap.

 

********************

 

He needed to get out of the harem, out of the palace and out of Stone Statt. 

Gods above, how could everything crumble into nothing in a just a few moments. 

One minute he was having a dinner with King Gunnar and the next moment he was running for his life with the slave boy on his tail. 

It had been a great night with that boy and with some proper training he would have become perfect; but no slave was worth dying for. 

Recognizing this area since it was close to his quarters, Boris gratefully realized he could be out of the palace in no time at all. He just needed some kind of leverage. Grinning when he saw a few guards who were still loyal to him at the doors to his chambers, he put together a quick plan. He motioned to the guards to hide behind some pillars as he backed up against the doors. Sure enough, throwing caution to the wind, Jared came running down the corridor without a thought to his personal safety. Not seeing the guards in their hiding places, he stepped closer to Boris. Quickly two guards seized his arms while a third pointed a sword to his throat. 

 

****************

 

Where was Jared? Jensen couldn’t shake the feeling his husband was in deep trouble, well that wasn’t hard to believe with the man being alone and trying to move through the middle of an intense battle. He and Elo hurried along the corridors towards the guest quarters. They figured that was where Boris was headed. They stepped around another corner only to see Jared being held hostage by Boris and his men. Jensen stepped forward, and barked out a simple demand, “Let Jared go!” 

“Why should we do something that?” Boris asked.

“Because you can have me instead,” Jensen offered.

“My king! No, no!” Elo dared to interject.

For a moment Boris was unsure, Jared had made a good hostage, but the king would be an even better one. Quickly he accepted the offer and nodded his agreement.

“Trust me, my friend,” Jensen whispered back to Elo. “It’s like the first training lesson you had in the forest.”

The guards stepped forward and pushed Jared towards Elo as soon as they had Jensen secured.

“Jared… I trust you,” was all Jensen managed to say to Jared before they dragged him away.

Jared took three steps before his knees gave out and he found himself kneeling in the middle of the corridor. Why had Jensen done that? It was all too much to take in. Jensen’s sacrifice was bad enough, but having to relive and remember his rape during his race through an ongoing battle, it made him feel lost and dirty all over again. His hands were shaking and he gasped painfully as he fought to get air into his lungs. Then suddenly Elo was in his face, his mouth was moving but Jared couldn’t understand a word.

“Breathe Jared, breathe slowly. You need to get a grip on yourself. Jensen needs you! Do you hear me he’s trusting you with his life. He needs you!”

Slowly coming back from the depths of the horrid nightmare playing in his head, Jared looked Elo in the eyes. “What?”

“Come on we don’t have much time. Follow me.” Elo ordered. He helped him to his feet and then they were running up a nearby set of stairs. Up and up they went floor after floor until they found themselves standing on the balcony that wrapped around the huge dome crowning the central tower of the palace. In the early morning light Jared could easily make out the group around Ambassador Boris as they hurried toward the stables, shoving a struggling Jensen ahead of them. Elo pushed a bow and quivers full of arrows into Jared’s skilled hands.

“You can do it! They won’t see you, they won’t hear you and they won’t know what killed them but you will be avenged.”

Jared’s hands were still shaking as he nocked his first arrow between the bowstring and bow.  
*************************

They had almost made it to the stables. All they needed to do was traverse one more small courtyard and then they would be safe and home free. 

Suddenly Boris heard a strange brief, whistling sound and one of the guards holding King Jensen crumpled to the ground, an arrow protruding from torn his throat. One by one his fellow Arrokadians were silently felled. Boris’s first instinct was to run like two of the others had tried, but as he saw them swiftly cut down, he frantically looked for another way out. Instead he dropped to the ground as the guard beside him fell, effectively hiding beneath the body of the dying body.  
*************************

 

Jared had only one arrow left but nobody in the courtyard was moving anymore. Where was Boris? He should be the last one standing. Jared narrowed his eyes scanning the open area. He had seen Boris’s dark clothing among the group as he had purposely cut down the guards one by one, intending to save the horrid rapist until last. With relief he had seen Jensen race back to the safety of the building from where they had come. Boris should be the only one left, the one he had reserved the last arrow for. But there wasn’t anyone moving. Jared decided he had to go down and see for himself.

**************************

News spread quickly about the death of the treacherous new king. With Boris and Gunnar gone the remaining mercenaries finally put their weapons down. The battle was over. They had won.

 

*************************

 

 

 

 

Epilogue

 

The whole court was gathered in the great hall. Jared and Jensen were both dressed in identical silken crowning coats, only Jensen’s was green and Jared’s kept changing between blue and green. They were standing in front of the throne and Jensen was holding both of Jared’s hands. 

To everybody’s surprise he knelt in front of Jared and in a clear, loud voice said: “My love, my life, you not only saved my life, you saved Stone Statt. We want to share our lives. We are equals. We are lovers. I want to be joined with you. And as Jensen, King of Stone Statt, I take you, Jared, as my fellow king.” Then turning to face those in attendance he declared loudly, “I will love him, cherish him and respect him…always.”

Jensen rose to his feet and Cas stepped closer. On a simple, red velvet cushion lay a golden crown similar to the one Jensen was wearing. Carefully Jensen took the crown and placed it upon Jared’s head. 

“Lord and Ladies, people of Stone Statt! I present to you King Jensen and King Jared of Stone Statt.” Cas announced with a huge smile on his face. 

 

**********************

 

Jensen had warned Jared that the celebration would be a great and long affair that would take several days. So it was way past midnight when they made their way towards their private rooms. 

Jensen knew Jared was anxious for some different reasons than his own. First, of course, came the fact that Jensen’s rooms still brought back memories of Jared’s enslavement. Second and foremost, in the days that lay between the battle and the crowning, Jared had suffered badly with the memories Gunnar’s taunting had awakened in his mind. Hopelessly he had tried to hunt down Boris in an effort to put an end on that torturous chapter of his captivity. Jensen had been told of bad dreams again and even during the day Jared sometimes seemed to drift into the dark depths of that night.

If it had been up to Jensen the whole wedding and crowning would have been postponed for one or two months. But Cas had insisted on Jared’s behalf that the wedding needed to take place as soon as possible, because Jared’s status was unclear to the court as long as he wasn’t married to King Jensen. Jensen had wisely concurred.

So Jared, his family and the other Forest People had taken up residence in some of the many guest rooms until the wedding. The people of Girian, of course, had Mark in attendance along with a contingent of their own lords and ladies.

“It was a very nice speech Mark made,” Jared observed later as they walked along a corridor together.   
“Yes, it was…. and who would have ever thought Elo was such a great dancer...” Jensen laughed.

“No… Jared, this way,” Jensen pointed in another direction as Jared began to make the last turn towards the king’s previous chambers. 

Jensen had ordered the household staff make ready a new set of rooms for the crowned duo. It wasn’t as if the palace was short on rooms. 

Their new rooms were laid around a beautiful inner garden just like the harem was. With a small pond in the middle of that garden and some graceful older trees surrounding it the area had an almost forest-like look and feel to it. Jensen had known it would help Jared to feel closer to his peaceful beginnings. He hoped it would be a true sanctuary for his beloved Jared.

“This is one of the oldest parts of the palace, Jared. It’s called First House,” Jensen explained. 

“I had heard about the First House but I have never been here,” Jared voice reflected the awe he felt as he looked around. According to the story of the Beginning the stones had formed in the way the First People had asked of them. Looking at them now, Jared had no problem in believing the old lore.

“You once told me that your forest trees are alive and part of your family and that they are breathing and growing beings… We don’t really have anything like that in Stone Statt, but once upon a time the stones did listen to the words of the Stone People and I thought you would like it…” Jensen’s gentle words trailed off. 

“It’s truly beautiful,” Jared whispered. 

He felt a little bit overwhelmed by everything lately. There had been so many changes: the crowning, the reception, the wedding, hunting Boris and Jensen being taken by the Arrokadians. 

“Would you show me around?” Jared asked. 

Jensen led Jared around the entire outer perimeter of the garden. With a happy heart he embraced each smile that graced Jared’s beautiful lips as he was introduced to their own private library, a reception room, office rooms, bathing rooms and bed chambers. 

After Jensen had shown Jared the last of the rooms, he had admitted he was dead tired. The previous night he had been haunted with horrible dreams about Boris killing and torturing Jensen. 

In the forest when he and Jensen had shared a bed, the very presence of Jensen had chased the nightmares away. 

“Could you just lie with me?” he asked Jensen almost shyly. 

Jared got undressed and crawled under the covers looking nervously at his new husband. Jensen had dreaded being made to sleep in a separate room, getting an invitation to just lie with a naked Jared between soft silk sheets came close to being in heaven in Jensen’s book.

**********************  
Jared woke up with sunrise the next morning. He felt refreshed. It was the first night since his return to the palace that the nightmares had been held at bay. He turned his head to gaze upon Jensen. Yes, he looked as beautiful as he had the first time Jared had seen him. 

There were more delicate freckles on his skin, his hair had become lighter and he had put on some muscle thanks to the training. Of course Jared had seen Jensen naked before but he had never been able to sit back and just look at him, appreciate the sight he made. 

With his fingertip he gently played “connect the dots” on Jensen’s upper back.  
“What are you doing back there?” came a sleepy voice a few moments later.  
“Hold still…. I’m looking for … ahh, there it is! I can draw a boar on your back by connecting your freckles.” Jared announced proudly.   
“You what?!” Jensen asked, laughing at such silliness. Turning around he looked up into Jared’s ever-changing eyes. This morning they were blue.

“Are you okay?” Jensen asked seriously.  
“Not yet, but I’m getting there...” Jared answered just as sincerely as Jensen had asked. 

So far Jared had not regretted befriending Jensen. Maybe it was time for another leap of faith. He leaned forward and kissed Jensen tenderly. As much as they had done together Jared kissing Jensen was quite a novelty. Certainly King Jensen had kissed his slave on many occasions, but back then Jared hadn’t wanted to initiate anything and their love making in the forest had been about… teaching Jensen to share. 

Jensen opened up quickly to let Jared’s thong dance in his mouth. God, how had he missed kissing and he was surprised to discover that Jensen was actually a good kisser. Soon their kiss turned from tender to heated and Jensen was grounding his erection into Jared’s thigh. 

“Oh Gods, Jared, I missed you so.” Jensen breathed into Jared’s mouth. Jensen couldn’t believe his luck, Jared was kissing him. Jared had initiated the contact. Surely, that had to mean something, right? Jared rubbed their cocks together. Jensen gazed intensely at Jared. His husband looked beautiful like this, his eyes lust-blown and his skin glistening with a soft sheen of sweat in the early morning sun. Jensen wanted to make this something special, something that would make Jared understand how much he meant to him. 

He disentangled himself from Jared and crawled backwards until he was sitting between Jared’s legs, his gorgeous erect cock right in front of Jensen. Uncertain how he should begin he leaned forward and pressed a kiss on the tip of Jared’s member. He licked around the crown and carefully wrapped his lips around it. The taste of Jared was salty and Jensen was surprised he actually liked it. Getting a little bolder he bobbed his head up and down, trying to fit as much of Jared’s cock into his mouth as he could. He heard a low moan and looked up. Jared was staring at him in awe and wonder. Encouraged that he had been the one to put this expression on Jared’s face, he licked up Jared’s length before swallowing him again. With one hand he started stroking the part he couldn’t swallow, before gently sliding his other hand lower to reach beneath Jared’s cock to play with his balls. Jensen could see there still were some spots where the skin looked tender and freshly healed.

Determined he pushed these thought and memories aside and redoubled his efforts to bring Jared to completion as gently as he could. He was surprised when he realized Jared wasn’t the only one who was nearing his climax; his own member was hard as a rock. He had never before realized that he could derive so much pleasure from pleasuring another. With strengthened enthusiasm, he twirled his tongue around the crown again and then pushed into the slit, before he kissed down Jared’s length and licked his balls, sucking them carefully into his mouth and releasing them slowly. 

Jared didn’t know what he had expected to happen when he had started kissing Jensen, but sure as hell, he hadn’t anticipated Jensen going down on him. He tried hard to hold still and not to thrust up into Jensen’s willing mouth. It wasn’t the best blow job he had gotten so far, but Jensen really seemed into it and eager to please Jared. That combined with the knowledge of how Stone People viewed blow jobs, and how much of himself Jensen was giving him, made Jared even more desperate to come. 

When Jensen moaned around Jared’s dick and looked up at Jared with those beautiful emerald eyes, it pushed Jared over the edge. With a shout he came, thrusting into Jensen’s mouth. Jensen swallowed as much as he could and licked Jared through his orgasm. Jared looked at Jensen with love in his eyes; he pulled Jensen up close and wrapped his hand around Jensen’s cock. It took only three or four strokes and Jensen came quickly with Jared’s name on his lips. 

As they lay together in the afterglow Jared somehow wished they could stay like this forever. He knew it was a childish wish since they needed to figure out how to rebuild Stone Statt, how to rule together and many, many other things Jared was sure he didn’t even want to know or think about right now. There was still the unresolved issue of Ambassador Boris. How would Arroka react to what had happened in Stone Statt? Would there be more war coming?

But at this moment Jared had the feeling that with Jensen by his side they could fight heaven and hell and save their world. For now he was happy to lie beside his husband in the warm glow of the early morning sun and wait for Amy to bring them breakfast. 

End


End file.
